Follow The Leader
by FastForward
Summary: Roommates, Part three. "It's simple. All you have to do in order to save his life, is play a little game. All you have to do is Follow The Leader." SasuNaru
1. Calm Before the Storm

**© 2008 FastForward.**

**So, hi guys. I'm back. Sorta. Kinda. Anyway, as per usual, my fics always start with long and tedious explanations of evilness. Which, yes, suck, but also leave me able to have no sympathy for all the people lately who've been complaining about the fact that, omg, my fics are yaoi. If you'd read the warnings, you would've noticed this -.-**

**First and foremost: I give you all a warning. If you liked where _Blood and Tears_ ended, I suggest you stop reading RIGHT NOW. Right now! Don't even finish this sen–why are you still reading?! Well, guess you made your choice. But yeah, no, being totally serious, if you liked _Blood and Tears_' ending, pretend I never wrote this. You've been warned.**

**Speaking of being warned, let's list off the warnings:  
- THIS IS PART THREE! Just making that clear for anyone who stumbled onto this fic. This is part THREE of three. The first is _Roommates_, and the second is _Blood and Tears_. So if you're reading this fic and not understanding, you a) didn't read the warning, and b) didn't read the first two.  
- Yaoi. Yes, this is a SasuNaru fic. Nothing explicit here.  
- Kiba is still here. This warning is self-explanatory if you know me and Kiba.  
- Death. Yes, people are still going to die.  
- Substance abuse. Remember _Blood and Tears_.  
- Abuse. Yeah... this fic is dark. Just like the last one.  
- SOME Spoilers. Yes, I read the manga. Yes, I know about who dies and who's who and everything. I appreciate people trying to correct me on it, but the thing is, I _won't_ change _anything_ that hasn't been seen in the anime since 60 percent of all Naruto fans only watch the anime, and therefore, I don't want to spoil them. So if you could maybe try not to put spoilers that are SUPER recent in the comments and stuff so people reading them randomly won't get spoiled, that'd be nice. I try not to have too many obvious spoilers but it's hard to avoid them altogether. If you WANT to talk to me about things that have recently happened, you're more than welcome to PM me since I'm up to date on the manga.**

**Yeah... I think that's it. So, yeah, enjoy. At least I don't have to emphasize how evil I am. People who've managed to make it through _Blood and Tears_ already know -smirk- Enjoy.**

**_I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UPDATE ONCE A DAY! I WILL TRY MY BEST TO UPDATE AS OFTEN AS I USED TO, BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY TIMES OF MY UNIVERSITY LIFE!_**

**Disclaimer: I am forming a team of highly dangerous individuals to join me in the abduction of certain Naruto characters from K. Masashi. I call Kiba. **

* * *

**Follow The Leader.**

Naruto Uzumaki exhaled deeply as he shifted in bed, licking his lips in his sleep before frowning as he began to wake up. He relocated into a slightly more comfortable position before groaning, not wanting to slip out of his slumber, but a slight pain in his lower abdomen was forcing him to regain consciousness. He had to go to the bathroom, and as much as he didn't want to wake up, he was going to have to.

Opening sleepy cerulean eyes, the blond glanced around the dark room before his eyes fell on the clock. Four twenty-eight in the morning.

Naruto sighed as he started to roll over so he could get out of bed, but the arm around his waist tightened at the action, holding him firmly when he tried to get away. He smiled slightly at the protectiveness of his boyfriend.

Sasuke Uchiha had had an immense fear ever since the end of the school year that Naruto was going to leave in the middle of the night. He supposed it had to do with the fact that the year before, he'd always disappeared during the night to see Orochimaru. The blond shuddered at the mere thought, the action causing the raven to stir, opening onyx eyes.

"What's wrong?" he mumbled before inhaling deeply.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Naruto whispered.

"Thirty seconds. Door open." Sasuke released him, the blond rolling off the bed.

There was another reason Sasuke never let Naruto out of his sight for long, but it wasn't one the blond was proud of. He still wasn't entirely over his forced addiction to heroin, and he often found himself craving it. Sasuke had gotten worried when Naruto had admitted this to him, since it was very clear the blond was scared of relapsing. So, Sasuke had reassured him that until he felt he could resist, he would watch him.

Naruto walked into the bathroom, not bothering with the light as he went to the toilet and relieved himself. The fingers of his left hand moved to his stomach, rubbing against his newest scar absentmindedly, and the blond wondered how the snake Orochimaru Sannin was liking jail.

Even though he'd been an accessory to a few murders, CSIS had pardoned everything he'd done, knowing the kind of blackmail he'd been threatened with. Of course, he was going to be watched for a while—well into the new school year, they'd said—but he was relatively seen as innocent. He still felt guilty for everything that had happened, but there was no way to turn back the clock.

Honestly, he found it weird as he gave it more thought, since even though he hadn't killed anyone, he'd been there and had aided in the deaths of countless people. Then again, movies and shows often had accessories let off when it was a matter of life and death. He supposed it could've been seen as some form of self-defence—well, in this case, more in the defence of others. It didn't mean he was happy with what he did, though. He felt he deserved jail.

"Moron."

Naruto jumped a mile high before turning to the door, Sasuke standing sleepily in the doorway. Naruto had exceeded his thirty seconds.

"Sorry." He finished up and went to the sink, washing his hands. "I was—reminiscing." The blond's eyes went dead and Sasuke sighed, knowing what it meant.

The Uchiha walked up behind his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing his right shoulder. Naruto looked up into the mirror, seeing Sasuke's lips as they fell onto his skin, the other's eyes closed, as if he was savouring Naruto's taste. The blond had to smile.

"It's all in the past," Sasuke whispered before moving up to the blond's neck, kissing all the marks he'd left on the tanned skin. "You never have to think about it again."

"I can't _not_ think about it," Naruto insisted.

Sasuke sighed, knowing it was going to be one of those nights for Naruto. His guilt often drowned him, sending him into hysterical tears that would take Sasuke hours to calm him down from. He always panicked about becoming like his mother. It made him feel better knowing that Minako Uzumaki had at least not been able to kill his father, and she wasn't the one who'd injured him, but she _was_ still a murderer.

The two had spent many sleepless nights near the end of second year around exam time, but Sasuke didn't mind. Anything to make Naruto feel better was worth it. Now, the blond still got upset, but he rarely broke down anymore, which Sasuke was grateful for. He always felt so useless when Naruto had one of his breakdowns.

Sasuke shifted, releasing the blond's waist so he could rub the other's arms. "Do you want to go for a swim or something?"

"No."

"A walk, then? To clear your head?"

Naruto thought about it for a few seconds, watching as the water flowed over his hands before falling into the sink and going down the drain.

"Okay."

"Okay." Sasuke kissed his shoulder again before pulling away, heading back into the blond's room. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants over his boxers and grabbed one of his random shirts off the ground, yanking it over his head as Naruto exited the bathroom. He had been wearing sweatpants to bed, so he merely pulled on a shirt. It was too warm out right now for sweaters.

Sasuke grabbed his set of keys to Naruto's house, the blond's probably buried under a pile of clothes or something, since he hadn't really been leaving the house.

The Uchiha had been taking summer courses since the beginning of the summer to earn the missed credits he needed in order to get third year status, like all of his friends. Kiba Inuzuka was staying with them at Naruto's since he hadn't wanted to go home for the summer, so he watched the blond while Sasuke was out.

"You ready?" the Uchiha asked.

"Yeah." Naruto headed for the door, Sasuke following him. "Should we leave a note for Kiba?" The blond lowered his voice as they walked down the corridor.

"He won't be up until late, probably, so I don't think we need to worry," was the raven's reply as he took Naruto's hand, squeezing it reassuringly as they began descending the stairs.

The two made their way outside, Sasuke locking the door behind them. The night was warm, and fairly humid. Sasuke knew his shirt would be sticking to him in a few minutes, but he ignored that fact as he and Naruto walked up towards the road. He wondered how far they would walk tonight. Their last walk had taken them to the highway that led into Vancouver.

It had taken them almost three hours to walk there and back.

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets, staring at his feet as he walked, not saying a word. Sasuke just waited, knowing the blond would speak when he was ready; when he knew what he wanted to say.

"How..." Naruto trailed off, frowning, but it looked like a pained frown. "How—can you forgive me?"

Sasuke almost faltered in his steps, stunned. _Okay... topic we've never come across before..._

"What do you mean? How can I _not_?" Sasuke asked with a kind smile. He ran one hand down Naruto's arm, causing the other to pull his hand out of his pocket. Sasuke took it in his and squeezed tightly. "You protected me, even though it was killing you inside. You did unspeakable things just to protect me and all our other friends. How could _any_ of us not forgive you?"

"I killed people, Sasuke," Naruto whispered.

"You didn't kill them, you closed off their exits, there's a difference." The raven narrowed his eyes.

"I still didn't save them."

"You had no choice." Sasuke stopped and grabbed Naruto's shoulders, turning the blond to face him. "Naruto, you are _not_ a bad person, all right? You did what you thought you had to do in order to protect those you cared about. And think about it this way, if you'd said no to helping—_helping_, Naruto, not _killing_—then there's no telling how many of us would've died. For every person you refused to help them with, they could've killed four, five, _six_ of us. You don't know to what lengths they would have gone to get you to cooperate."

"But why?" Naruto was looking at the floor, a far off look in his eyes. Sasuke was losing him. "Why me? Why did they want me so badly? It can't just have been because I was Minako Uzumaki's son."

"Why not? She was a—" Sasuke cut himself off before sighing, pulling Naruto to himself and hugging him. "Please forget about it, Naruto. Who cares what their goal was, it doesn't matter anymore. They lost. We won." He smiled a little. "It's like a really, really bad horror movie where you can already tell who's gonna live and who's not."

"Like _House of Wax_," Naruto whispered against the other's chest.

Both of them laughed, Sasuke shaking his head. "Yeah, like that. Fuck, that movie was terrible."

He rubbed slowly at the blond's back, the other shaking slightly due to his laughter. It felt good to see him like this. It was hard, sometimes, since Sasuke didn't know how to help him. Kiba did a better job at cheering Naruto up—but Sasuke insisted it was because the brunette was an idiot. He could fall down the stairs and it would make his boyfriend happy. Hell, that would make _him_ happy. Kiba injuring himself was always funny.

Sasuke heard footsteps coming up behind them, Naruto tensing immediately, but it was easy to see the suit in the darkness. The CSIS agent stopped a few steps away from them, his hands in his pockets and his eyes locked on Naruto.

"Tch." Sasuke turned to continue walking, taking the blond's hand tightly in his own and practically pulling him away.

A part of him was angry and wanted to kick the shit out of the man who was following them only six or seven feet behind, but another part of him understood the necessity. Still, he could give them a little breathing room; this was a private conversation!

"How do you think you did on your finals?" Naruto asked in a low voice, obviously wanting to change the subject. Sasuke went along with it.

"I hope I did all right. If not, I'll still be a second year and I'll have to re-take a whole bunch of courses." He made a face at the mere thought.

Despite the fact that things had gone wrong for him since first year in terms of schooling, Sasuke had to admit that he'd still managed to do considerably well. Being in a coma for half a year, and then having amnesia for another half a year, the fact that these courses in the summer would raise him up to third year status, provided he passed, was somewhat of an achievement, in his opinion.

This meant only two more years of university, and then he and Naruto could—well, do something other than go to school. He grinned to himself, wondering what kind of job he could get where sick days were unlimited. The more sick days he could get, the more sex he could have with his cute little blond boyfriend.

"What?"

"Hm?" Sasuke turned to Naruto, who was regarding him with a concerned expression.

"What are you thinking about that has you smirking like that?"

"Nothing." The raven grinned.

"Sure, that's _real_ convincing." Rolling his eyes, the blond turned away from Sasuke, looking around at the scenery as they passed it.

The two continued on in silence, the only sounds around them being the wind blowing and the persistent steps coming from behind them. They reached the main road that would lead out into Abbotsford when Naruto finally stopped, turning around so they could head back home.

"It's weird, isn't it?" He asked as the wind picked up a bit, ruffling their hair.

"What is?"

Naruto said nothing for a few seconds, then glanced up at the cloudless sky, a frown marring his features.

"I can't help but feel this is the calm before the storm."

* * *

The sound of clatter from downstairs caused Sasuke's head to jerk up off the pillow, bleary eyes cracking open before he let it fall back down, moaning slightly. He vaguely wondered what time it was and opened one eye again to check the clock, closing it again. It was just past eleven in the morning. Great...

Inhaling deeply, one hand reached out, seeking his boyfriend. He found no one, and opened his eyes again, lifting his head. The space beside him was empty.

_How the heck did Naruto leave without me waking up?_ Sasuke rubbed his eyes with one hand, the other running over the blond's side of the bed. It was still warm, so he hadn't been up for long. The raven rolled onto his back, sitting up and stretching before reaching down to grab his sweat pants. Pulling them on, he walked towards the bathroom, pushing the door open. No one.

Letting out a yawn, he shuffled to the bedroom door, opening it while running his hand up backwards at the back of his head to make his hair stick up more. He reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to the kitchen, hearing Kiba and Naruto laughing. He entered the room and blinked.

"What the fuck?" The two boys jumped, startled, one turning around while doing dishes, and the other making eggs at the stove.

"Morning." Naruto grinned.

"I know we're gay and all, but that's pushing it a little." Sasuke turned to Kiba, pointing his finger at him. "And what the hell is _your_ excuse?"

"We're getting in touch with our feminine side." Naruto laughed, Kiba glaring at him.

The Uchiha shook his head, sitting down at the kitchen table and staring at the two boys. Both of them were wearing bright pink frilly aprons that Sasuke could only assume used to belong to Naruto's grandmother. That, or Naruto had bought them to try and give Sasuke a heart attack. It had almost kind of worked. It was terrifying seeing his lover wearing pink. _It wouldn't be so bad if he was wearing **just** that and nothing else,_ Sasuke smirked.

"So, what's with the big breakfast?" he inquired.

"We're celebrating you hitting third year status." Naruto smiled, turning from his location at the stove.

"We don't know that yet."

"Yeah we do. Blondie checked your grades on your account." Kiba grinned over his shoulder. "Congrats on being one of us."

"Awesome." Sasuke sighed deeply, letting his forehead rest against the table.

He was so sick of school. It felt like all he did nowadays was go to school and do homework. He knew it wasn't true, since he'd been in a coma, and then had amnesia. But still, it _felt_ like it. He couldn't wait to just graduate and get it all over with and get old with Naruto.

It felt weird thinking of a future with Naruto, but he honestly couldn't think of living any other way. Ever since they'd been roomed together, life without Naruto seemed—weird. And to think he'd tried to get rid of the guy.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Naruto set a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of Sasuke, kissing his temple.

"You." The raven tugged at his boyfriend's wrist to pull him down, twining his hand in the other's hair and pressing his lips to Naruto's.

"Aw, guys!" Kiba exclaimed, disgusted, covering his eyes with both hands. "It's bad enough I hear you guys _doing it_ through the wall, can you at least spare my eyes, fuck!"

"Feeling left out, Kiba?" Naruto teased when the two of them pulled apart, Sasuke picking up some bacon and chewing it slowly.

"Gross, Naruto. Seriously." Kiba groped around for another plate, his eyes still closed. The blond rolled his own before walking to the counter and shoving Kiba's plate into his hands.

"We're not kissing anymore."

"That's what you _want_ me to think!" Kiba peeked open one eye, and upon seeing the coast was clear, he went to the table with his plate and sat down, Naruto joining a second later.

"So, here's to you, Sasuke." Kiba raised his glass of water. "Thanks for coming back in one piece."

"Liar, you didn't even miss me." Sasuke smirked, taking a sip of his own glass.

The rest of breakfast was carried out with mindless chatter about their upcoming courses, Naruto whining about how the professors were all conspiring against him, since he seemed to have the same ones yet _again_, save for Orochimaru, of course. That asshole was still in jail.

"You should feel loved that they all want to teach you again." Sasuke grinned, biting into his slice of toast and laughing gleefully in his head over the fact that Naruto had to put up with Genma Shiranui for yet _another_ year.

"I wouldn't make fun of him if I were you." Kiba smirked, folding his hands together and resting his chin on them, his elbows propped on the table. "Last I checked, one of your courses is being taught by your favourite ever professor."

The raven frowned at this, taking another bite of his toast and chewing slowly as he pondered who that could be. He knew Genma was out of the picture, and he was guaranteed Kakashi Hatake, so that couldn't be what Kiba was talking about. He slowly went down the list until his chewing stopped and his eyes widened.

"No!"

"He's teaching your Earth and Ocean Sciences course." Kiba grinned.

"No! No, he's not!"

"Yes, yes he is." Naruto snickered.

The raven's head hit the table so loudly, the other two boys were worried he would end up with a concussion.

"Gai Maito. Why? What have I done to deserve such torture?"

"At least the guy'll pass you for existing." Kiba laughed loudly, he and Naruto high-fiving. After all, neither of _them_ would have to suffer through the psychotically happy professor.

Then again, in all honesty, Naruto was pretty sure he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his school year stuck with Gai. It was because of him that Sasuke had come back to him. He was the first person the raven had remembered during his amnesia, and a part of Naruto knew that that had been the beginnings of his return to who he was now.

The phone rang, causing all of them to jump, startled. Sasuke and Naruto were always jumpy nowadays, and that had kind of rubbed off on Kiba, though he had less to worry about than they did.

Standing quickly, the brunette strode across the kitchen and snatched up the phone, lowering his voice sensually.

"Hello, and thank you for calling Inuzuka's hotline of sexy lovins."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and mouthed the brunette's last two words with a look of complete and utter disgust on his face. This sent the blond into another hysterical fit of giggles.

"If you'd like to pay for me to father your children, press one. If you'd—" The brunette cut off as the person on the other end spoke, and his face went pale. "Ts-Tsunade! Hi! I—didn't think you would be calling us... today... right now..." He laughed nervously, then frowned. "Taken my pills? I'm not on pills." He listened as she spoke more, then his eyebrows went down angrily. "What do you mean I should be?! You can't say that! You're a figure of authority, you can't demean me like that!"

Sasuke and Naruto were both laughing loudly across the kitchen, both of them having almost fallen out of their chairs when Kiba had said the president of UBC's name. Tsunade Sannin continued to belittle Kiba for a few more minutes before he grumbled that Naruto was there and handed off the phone.

"Hey, old hag, how's it going?"

"Good. I just heard about Sasuke passing all his courses. Pass along my congratulations."

"Will do," Naruto replied, wondering if that was her only reason for calling.

He could only _be_ so lucky...

"I thought I should let you know that I've hired a new professor this year. He's going to be teaching one of your courses." The blond frowned at this.

"Okay... Was there a reason you were telling me this?"

"He's also going to be the school's new psychologist. I've made an appointment for you starting on the first day of classes."

Sputtering, Naruto's grip tightened on the phone. A psychologist?! He wasn't fucked up in the head, why had she gone and done that without his permission?!

"Tsunade, I don't—this isn't necessary."

"Naruto." Her voice was low, and dangerous. "Hitomi always asked me to look out for you when she was gone, and I feel I've been doing a piss-poor job of it recently. Too many things have happened to you, and I feel that discussing them with a professional will help. Your first appointment is September Fourth at five. Don't be late." She hung up.

Clenching his jaw, he hung up the phone, as well, leaning forward on the counter. He supposed he could understand why she was doing this, and perhaps it _would_ help—but he couldn't talk about everything again. He couldn't talk about Itachi, and losing Sasuke—twice—and killing people. He just—he wasn't strong enough to have to talk about all of that again. Once had been more than enough. Twice had been torture. A third time, he would rather die.

"Hey." He jumped slightly, turning to look at Sasuke, the raven's hand on his shoulder. Kiba was a foot or two away, hands in his pockets. Both regarded him with concern. "What did she say?"

"She wants me to see a therapist," he muttered, then snorted. "Because that'll help solve all my problems."

"She's just looking out for you, dude." Kiba moved over beside the blond and jumped up on the counter, sitting there and looking down at the other two. "I think having you talk about it will help."

"I don't _want_ to talk about it!" He smacked Sasuke's hand away and turned, walking to the other side of the kitchen and clenching his fists. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth before bringing his hands up to cover his ears. He could still hear Mr. Okamoto begging to be let out of the coffin, promising to pay double of what the person who'd hired them had paid. He winced.

He felt like he was never going to be able to get rid of those sounds. The ones of people screaming, crying, begging. All wanting to live. All having to die so that people _Naruto_ loved could live. What gave him the right to choose his friends over these people?!

"Naruto!" The blond's eyes snapped open, his head jerking back slightly in shock as he was met with onyx eyes boring into his own. Sasuke looked worried. The raven's hands were on either cheek, his fingers digging almost painfully into the blond's skin.

"Are you okay?" Kiba appeared in his line of sight.

"I'm fine!" He smacked Sasuke's hands away again. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you've been standing here for twenty minutes," Kiba replied in a low voice. "And you're crying."

The blond turned to him, somewhat startled, then reached up to touch his eyes. He was, indeed, crying. Shit. He rubbed his face hard with both hands, taking a deep breath, and then letting it out. Maybe Tsunade was right. He couldn't keep worrying his friends like this.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry." He looked back at them and smiled. "Come on, let's finish breakfast. It's gonna get cold."

* * *

The rest of their day had been pretty uneventful. Sasuke had left for a few hours to pick up some boxes so all of them could pack their stuff back up so it would be ready—mostly, anyway—by the time Neji came at the end of the week.

They'd all tried to get rooms in Gage once again, but Tsunade had said they were too crowded since they were in high demand, and gave them the next best thing to the dorms: Fairview. Similar to Gage, they varied between four bedrooms and six with lockable doors, a living room, and a kitchen along with two bathrooms. The difference was that Fairview was comprised of townhouses, so each unit had two floors, with two rooms on the bottom floor, and two on the top.

They'd managed to harass the housing rep at Fairview enough for her to agree to get them all roomed next to each other, but only Sasuke had been able to turn on enough charm to get his way with who he would be roomed with. Everyone else was being selected at random, only Sasuke and Naruto were guaranteed to be together.

Sitting in the kitchen with his laptop, Kiba was busy checking the room arrangements while Naruto packed up some of his dishes for the unit at school, since they didn't come pre-stocked.

"Oh, sweet, the lists are up!" Kiba exclaimed gleefully, clapping his hands like a small child.

Turning away from his task, Naruto came to stand behind him, staring at the brunette's UBC account. There was an option that allowed for friends to view your room arrangements, so the list of people he saw didn't include only himself, Sasuke and Kiba, but all their other friends, as well.

"Yo, Sasuke! Rooms are up!" Kiba called out into the living room, the raven appearing in the doorway.

"Sweet, read 'em out."

"I'm not your slave, fuck," the brunette muttered, motioning him over. Rolling his eyes, the Uchiha walked up behind the other two and peered down at the screen. "Okay, as far as I can tell off the site, units 4618 and 4619 are one townhouse, and 4620 and 4621 are another townhouse. So we're all spread out in two full townhouses side by side."

"Sweet." Naruto grinned. "Guess it paid off to harass the Fairview rep."

"It looks like 4619 is a five person unit." Sasuke commented as he pointed at the picture of it. "It has an extra room at the top, it looks like."

"Who's where?" The blond reached down and hit a key to change back to the previous window to see who was housed where. "All right, 4618 has Sakura Haruno, Lee Rock, Ino Yamanaka and Chouji Akimichi," he read off.

"Lee will be happy." Kiba snorted.

"Oh hey, dude, you're roomed with Hinata!" Naruto pointed at the list for 4619, Hinata Hyuuga's name listed right beneath Kiba's.

"Sweet!" The brunette cheered, thrusting both fists in the air, and then doing a small dance in his chair.

"You've got Shino, too. And then Kankurou and Temari," the blond continued.

"Sweet! Aburame and two Sabakus! That rocks!" He continued to do a little dance.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, looking at the next unit, and smirking. It had paid to hit on the rep, because the only people residing in 4620 were himself and Naruto. Sure, he had Kiba next door—annoyingly enough—but they were all alone in their four-person unit. Excellent.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" the raven asked innocently, giving his boyfriend the most sincere expression he could manage. Naruto just gave him a look. He wasn't buying it.

"How did you get us together and alone? The girl had said she was going to pick and choose between our friends and there was no negotiating."

"Let's just say I have my ways." He smirked, looking back down at the last unit. "So considering who's in the other units, that leaves Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten and Gaara in the last one, right?"

Scanning the list, he was, indeed, correct. Shikamaru Nara would be upset to be far away from his best friend, but at least he was literally four steps away from his front door. Then again, the kid would probably be too lazy to walk that far. Chouji'd be the one heading over to Shikamaru's place.

Kiba was thankful that Hinata's cousin was at least one unit away, and with his girlfriend Tenten Tamura with him, he was pretty sure the older Hyuuga would be too preoccupied to worry about his cousin's virtue.

"I'm glad all of us are together like this." Naruto smiled. "It'll make it easier for all of us to hang out and stuff."

"Yeah, for sure. I need to get my PS3 out of storage." Kiba thrust his fists in the air. "GTA4!"

"I predict Kiba is going to fail this year." Sasuke smirked.

The brunette turned around to yell profanities at Sasuke, which the raven easily brushed off. The two argued for a while as Naruto's eyes remained glued to the computer screen. His gut twisted in both excitement and worry. He was eager to go back to school and hang out with his friends again, but at the same time, bad things always seemed to happen whenever he was on that campus. First, psychotic brothers and then crazy serial killers... he felt like something new and not so exciting was going to happen this year, too. Of course, that was ridiculous and just his fear talking, but still—he was afraid.

"I don't wanna go." He hadn't realized he'd said it aloud until he saw Kiba and Sasuke turn to him.

"Go where?"

"I don't wanna go back to UBC," he whispered. "Bad shit always happens when I go there. I think—maybe I should just drop out."

"What?" Kiba demanded, stunned.

"Naruto, don't be ridiculous." Sasuke grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to look at him. "_Nothing_ is going to happen. I promise. This year will be different. I know things haven't really been all that stellar since the beginning of our university life, but things will be different this time. I'm awake, and I have a memory. My brother's dead, Akatsuki members are either dead or in jail, and we're all being roomed next to each other. We're going to be _fine_."

Naruto smiled slightly, a little reassured when Kiba let out a rather unattractive snort and shook his head. "You? Fine? Who are you kidding? This is _you_ guys! Something _always_ goes wrong!" He snickered, then let out a yelp of pain and grabbed at Sasuke's wrist. The raven was bending the fingers of his left hand backwards, his eyes still locked on Naruto's.

"Kiba, not helping." His eyes shifted to the brunette, pulling back one last time on his fingers, and then releasing them, Kiba wincing and cradling his hand to his chest.

"I'm just being realistic, fuck," he muttered, massaging his hand and making sure there wasn't going to be any permanent damage. Their heads all turned to the door as the doorbell rang. "See? It's the doorbell of doom, bad stuff is happening already." He stood up, stretching slightly as he checked the time, deciding he would order pizza for dinner. "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go build myself a bomb shelter to live in for the rest of the year." He looked at Naruto and winked slightly, trying to show he was joking, though a part of him felt that this year was going to be just as chaotic as the last two.

Sasuke sighed and headed for the door, looking over his shoulder to continue speaking to the blond. "Naruto, this year there's no Itachi, and there's no Akatsuki. I promise you, nothing will go wrong."

The blond smiled and nodded, the Uchiha nodding back as he reached the door and turned the handle, pulling it open. He was taken aback slightly at the man he saw before him, finding he had a rather uncanny resemblance to Naruto's father—based on the pictures he'd seen—except his hair was a dark shade of red, and his eyes were grey.

"Can I help you?" Sasuke asked, trying to recover from his initial shock.

The man seemed a little confused, and wrung his hands together a little, checking the address, and then looking down at a piece of paper, then back up at Sasuke.

"Um, I think there's been some kind of mistake. I was—I'm looking for Naruto Uzumaki. I was told this was his residence, but obviously, I was misinformed." He looked awkward, and a little embarrassed. "I apologize." He took a step back to turn and leave, but Naruto appeared beside Sasuke in the doorway.

"No, you were right." Naruto said before Sasuke could stop him. He didn't want the blond randomly inviting people inside, considering he _was_ still Naruto Uzumaki, and people _did_ still like kicking the shit out of him every now and then. He supposed the blond felt safer since there were CSIS agents around. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

The man turned back and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at Naruto. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as tears formed in the redheaded man's eyes and he brought one hand up to cover his mouth. He let out a little laugh, motioning Naruto with his hand.

"Wow. You're so—you're bigger than I was expecting. I, uh... wow." He laughed slightly again, Sasuke glancing at Naruto and seeing he was just as confused. At least Sasuke didn't feel left out, now. If even Naruto didn't get it, Sasuke couldn't hope to.

"Um... thanks?" The blond shot a confused glance at Sasuke, then turned back to the redheaded man. "Can I help you?"

"This is—I know this will come as a bit of a shock, but know I'm just as shocked and... wow, you're so..." He smiled and rubbed at his eyes as the tears threatened to fall. Sasuke didn't really like where this was headed, even though he wasn't sure what was going on yet.

"Who are you?" he demanded, losing his patience.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. My name is Pein Akasaka, and Naruto..." he trailed off, then licked his lips, smiling at the blond. "Naruto, I'm your father."

Sasuke wondered how long it would take Kiba to finish that bomb shelter.

* * *

**© 2008 FastForward.**

* * *


	2. Childish Behaviour

**© 2008 FastForward.**

**AN: Sorry for the hardcore late update . I, uh... yeah. Had to work on my cosplay, had friends over, went to a con, _still_ had friends over, went back to work, friends left and then I, uh... -cough- I got distracted by anime... People keep sending me links to awesome anime! IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!**

**Anyway, to make up for it, this chapter is slightly longer than my usual chapters are... By, like... 2000 words... So... yeah... enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: K. Masashi owns my soul O.O So in some weird, twisted, roundabout way... I own his characters, muahahahahaha! **

* * *

"You're... what?" Naruto demanded, shaking his head, confused. "What are you talking about? You're clearly delusional, sir." The blond went to close the door but Pein reached out and forced it to remain open.

"Naruto, I know what this must look like to you!" he insisted urgently, fear and panic in his eyes. "I know you must be confused and suspicious and—and I'm sorry, but I can explain everything, please! Please, just-just five minutes of your time. I beg of you."

The blond stared at the man before him, then shifted his gaze to the death-grip he had on the door. He really didn't seem like he was going to let Naruto close the door without speaking, first. So, he sighed and pulled the door open again, motioning the man in, despite Sasuke's look. A look which _clearly_ stated that he felt this was a bad idea.

"Come on in."

"Thank you." Pein moved past the front door and grabbed Naruto's shoulder tightly. "Thank you."

"Sure," he whispered, finding this whole situation awkward.

Closing the front door, Naruto motioned the living room and followed the strange man towards the couches, Sasuke choosing to stay by the archway that led into the room. He leaned back against it, crossing his arms, and noticed the redheaded man staring at him.

"What?" the raven demanded with a glare.

"This is a rather private conversation," was the clipped reply.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearing his throat. "Uh, Sasuke is—he's my boyfriend. Even if we don't have this conversation in front of him, I'll end up telling him what transpired."

Pein seemed startled at Naruto's easy confession regarding his sexuality, and Sasuke watched him closely for his reaction. He saw slight disappointment, but no disgust. Well, if this guy really _was_ his dad, then that was good—right?

"I see. Well, I suppose it would be rude of me to ask him to leave then. And somewhat pointless." Pein cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, locking his gaze with Naruto's and smiling slightly. "I know this is somewhat of a shock for you, it's a shock for me, too."

"I'm still not quite understanding why you think you're my father." Naruto shifted uncomfortably once more. "I've never seen you before in my life, nor do I recognize your name."

Taking a deep breath, Pein nodded. "This may be hard for you to accept, Naruto but—your mother and father didn't have the best relationship in the world. They often—well, they did things that married couples shouldn't do."

Sasuke frowned, not liking this conversation at all. Naruto was already fucked up in the head from all that had happened lately, and the raven didn't appreciate Mr. Wing-Tips coming in and fucking him up even more when Sasuke had spent so much time trying to bring him back to some semblance of normalcy!

"What do you mean by that?" the blond asked almost innocently.

"Naruto—your mother, Minako Uzumaki... she and I, we-we had an affair."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as Naruto's jaw dropped. He jerked off the couch as if it had caught fire, taking a step away from Pein.

"What?! No fucking way! No way! My mother would _never_—She loved my father! She loved him!"

"Naruto, please—" Pein stood and took a step towards Naruto, one hand extended, but he went no further as a firm grip tightened around his wrist, the Uchiha having moved swiftly across the living room to halt the other's movements.

"I think it's time for you to go, Mr. Akasaka." His voice was low, and dangerous. It was a warning telling him to stop talking and get the fuck out.

Pein wasn't intimidated.

"I understand you're concerned for him, but he _has_ to know the truth," he frowned at Sasuke, pulling his hand free, and looking back at the blond. "Naruto, I know this isn't easy to accept, but it's true. You're not Arashi Uzumaki's son, you're mine."

"Why now?" Naruto grit his teeth, his fists clenched. "It's been nineteen years! Why are you showing up now?!"

"Because I didn't know!" he exclaimed, looking panicked. "I didn't—Naruto, I was just as shocked as you are now! Hell, it took me over a month to work up the nerve to come back down here to meet you! My affair with Minako was years ago, and when I found out about—" he cut himself off, but they all knew what he was about to say. "When I found out about what happened, I was devastated. But you had your grandmother, and she'd never told me that you were mine, I had no idea!"

"How did you find out?" Sasuke demanded, causing Pein to jump. He'd forgotten the Uchiha was there.

"It was an accident," he admitted. "They were doing a background check on me because I applied for a government job, and they look into your entire background, and depending on the position, you're asked to give fingerprints and a DNA sample. When they ran my DNA, they called me to tell me I'd been accepted and asked if my son was doing all right." He turned back to Naruto. "Your DNA is in the system due to all your hospital visits."

"Right." The blond's hand went to his side, rubbing at his newest scar through the fabric of his shirt.

"Like I said, it was completely accidental. I had no idea what they were talking about, and the only person I could think of was Minako. So I had an associate of mine look into it and now, here I am." He smiled slightly. "I'm not here for your money, I have plenty of my own. I'm not here to make your life miserable by dropping this bomb on you. I just... I wanted to make up for all the years you've lost." He shifted his weight slightly. "I'm not expecting you to accept this right off the bat. To just accept that Arashi Uzumaki isn't your father. I just... I don't want to impose myself on your life, but it'd be nice to know more about you."

Sasuke looked back and forth between the two, not trusting Pein in the slightest. It was a bit _too_ convenient, in his opinion, but then again, it might just be his protectiveness kicking in. That, and he and Naruto had the uncanny ability to attract trouble. It was like a bad smell...

"Naruto?" he asked when the blond didn't say anything.

"Too much has happened in the last few years." He smiled slightly, locking blue eyes on Pein. "I've gone through a lot so I find it a little hard to believe this, let alone accept this. If I had proof..."

"Anything," Pein blurted out. "You name it, and I'll do it. Whatever you want."

"I'd like to see a copy of the DNA samples."

"Of course." The redhead smiled. "That's the easiest request I ever could've imagined. I'll have my office fax them down to me."

"No." Both turned to Sasuke as he narrowed his eyes. "I think it'd be better if we had it done fresh. Book an appointment at the clinic and we'll meet you there on the assigned day. We're doing this from scratch."

"If you insist." He gave Sasuke an unsettling smile, then turned back to the blond, gripping his shoulder tightly and telling him he was so happy to meet him, and that he hoped they could talk again really soon.

The man left a few minutes afterwards and Naruto had rushed upstairs, mumbling something about going to bed. Sasuke knew it would be best to just leave him alone; he knew there were no drugs in the room, he'd checked it a million times.

Heading into the kitchen, the raven started the coffee machine and sat down at the table, staring at the wood and thinking over everything that had just happened. Pein didn't _seem_ like he needed the money, so if he was doing this just for that, he was a good actor. And, to be fair, he _did_ resemble Naruto, the only problem was that Arashi and Naruto's hair and eyes were identical. Was it really possible for Naruto to look _so_ much like Arashi while being someone else's son?

_Guess the DNA test will tell all,_ he thought with a sigh, resting his forehead on the table.

"I don't like it."

He let out a startled shout, propelling out of his seat and turning to find Kiba standing in the doorway, giving him a half-apologetic look for scaring the unholy shit out of him.

"Jesus, Kiba... fuck..." Sasuke rubbed his face and plopped back down in his chair, resting his elbows on the table and continuing to rub his face.

"Sorry." The brunet took a seat across from him, scowling. "Just had to say I don't like it."

"You heard?" The raven's fingers parted so he could regard the other boy, who nodded.

"I did. I don't think he's in it for money or anything but—something's fishy. I mean, I know a lot of people who've applied for government jobs and never once have I heard about a DNA test. Fingerprints, urine samples, blood samples, all that happy stuff, sure. But DNA tests?" He made a sceptical face. "I don't know, I think our good friend Mr. Red-Potato-Head is yanking our chain."

"What if he's not?" Sasuke asked, thinking of the expression the other had worn when Naruto had almost closed the door on him. "What if he's really... What if Naruto's dad had never actually died?"

Kiba just shrugged, then stood, looking out into the living room in the direction of the stairs. "I don't know, man, but my gut tells me something's off here. As much as I'd like to see Naruto happy because he has a dad, I'd rather him not get hurt." He looked at the Uchiha. "Keep an eye on our boy, Sasuke. I can't take another year like last year. I can't stand on the sides and watch him suffer without knowing what to do."

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen." He clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes. "Nobody is ever hurting Naruto again."

Kiba severely hoped Sasuke was right.

* * *

Naruto lay on his side facing the opposite wall, his eyebrows down in a frown. He could hear Sasuke's steady breathing beside him, his arm wrapped securely around the blond's waist. The other boy was dead to the world, but Naruto couldn't sleep. He'd even tried taking some night cough syrup just for the drowsiness, but his brain was working so fast that he couldn't sleep even _with_ help.

Was he really ready to believe that this man—this Pein Akasaka—was his father? That Arashi Uzumaki was just a man who'd protected him because he believed _he_ was his father? Did that even make sense?

If his mother hadn't been able to kill Arashi because she loved him so much, wouldn't that have meant she'd love him too much to have an affair? It seemed logical to him. After all, he loved Sasuke so much that he'd never be able to kill him, and that went for cheating on him, too. He'd _never_ cheat on Sasuke—not intentionally, anyway.

He winced as his mind went bad places, recalling what had happened the previous year with Orochimaru.

Letting out a small whine, he rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow, taking deep breaths through the material. _I guess the DNA test will let me know who's lying and who's telling the truth..._

The doorbell rang and Naruto jerked upright, Sasuke following suit. He'd done so slightly more violently, having thrown the covers off them both and turned towards the door, still half-asleep but with a deep scowl on his face.

"Time?"

It took a second for Naruto to realize what he was asking and he looked at his watch. "Almost five-thirty."

"Wait here."

Sasuke stood and headed for the door. The blond knew he'd been told to wait there, but he wasn't a dog, so he followed him out of the room. Kiba was emerging from his own, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as the doorbell rang again.

"What the fuck?" He yawned loudly, heading for the stairs along with Naruto and Sasuke. "It's still dark out. What the fuck time is it?"

Neither boy replied, all of them heading downstairs. When they reached the landing, Sasuke held one hand out backwards, pushing Naruto back slightly. He then turned to look at Kiba, who got the hint and put his hand on the blond's shoulder.

"We should go to the kitchen or something." He wrapped one arm around him and dragged him off, despite his complaints.

Turning back to the front door, Sasuke took a deep breath and clenched his fists, walking towards it slowly. He tried to see out the side window, but it was still too dark outside. Reaching out, he pulled open the front door just as the doorbell rang again.

Before he had time to react, someone leapt on him. His mouth opened so he could scream, but it froze in his lungs as he blinked. Someone was—they were hugging him. Rather painfully.

"Thank God." The hug tightened a little. "I was so worried. Fuck, I'm glad you're okay."

"Kakashi?" Sasuke was insanely confused.

His guardian Kakashi Hatake pulled away, looking Sasuke up and down before hugging him again. The raven pushed him off impatiently, having lost his temper now that he wasn't scared about who was at the door anymore.

"Do you know what time it is?" he demanded, annoyed.

"Kakashi?" The older man looked past Sasuke at Naruto and Kiba as they walked out into the living room, obviously having heard the conversation between Sasuke and his guardian.

"Naruto. Kiba. You're both looking well."

"Uh, yeah..." The blond felt awkward. Why was he here? "How's, uh–how's Iruka?"

"Fine. Fine, he's good." The professor ran one hand through his grey hair, nodding. "He's still back at the house. I just... I came by myself. Left him a note."

"Kakashi." He looked at Sasuke. "Do you know what time it is?" he inquired once more.

"Uh... really early, or really late." The professor's eyes curved happily. Sasuke didn't look amused.

"Why did you come all the way out here at five-thirty in the morning? We were sleeping. And school starts in two weeks. I'd like to enjoy what little summer I have left, considering I didn't _get_ much of a summer."

"Ah, right." He rubbed the back of his head, laughing slightly. "Sorry. I just—I had a bad feeling."

Sasuke blinked at him. "You had a bad feeling," he repeated dryly.

"Don't give me that! With all the shit you've all been going through, I think I have the right to have a bad feeling and come check up on you just to calm myself down."

"It's called a phone."

"If you were being held hostage, I wouldn't know. Coming over shows you're all fine."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes, not even sure what to say to that. He supposed he should be flattered that Kakashi was so worried, but still—at five-thirty in the fucking morning, it was hard to appreciate something like this.

"Uh, do you want to come in?" Naruto asked when it became clear Sasuke wasn't going to.

"Please." He smiled and walked into the house, the raven letting out a sigh and closing the door behind him, shoving his hands in his pockets and following everyone into the kitchen.

Naruto said something about making coffee and set about doing that, Kiba and Kakashi taking a seat at the table. Sasuke just leaned against the doorframe, as he so often did. His eyes followed Naruto as he moved around the kitchen, watching as his muscles shifted underneath the white shirt he was wearing.

"So." He turned his attention to Kiba as the brunet spoke, letting out a huge yawn before continuing. "You drove all the way down here because of a bad feeling?"

"Can you blame me?" Kakashi inquired with a smile. "I worry about these two." He motioned Sasuke, and then Naruto, neither of which were looking at him. One was making coffee and the other was staring at the ground, his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "I felt something ominous had happened and instead of assuming it would pass, I decided to come down. Nothing weird's happened, right?"

There was silence. Kiba glanced at Sasuke, whose eyes had shifted to burn into Naruto's back. The blond said nothing. Kiba cleared his throat uncomfortably and Sasuke looked back at the ground. The professor sighed, shaking his head.

"What happened?"

"How do you like your coffee?" Naruto demanded quickly before anyone else could say anything.

"Black, but I'd like yours with some truth serum." The blond winced, turning away from Kakashi again.

"We had a visitor earlier today," Sasuke informed him, Naruto turning to give him a pleading look. Even though he knew it would make him mad, the raven continued. "He said his name was Pein Akasaka."

"What did he want?" Kakashi frowned, wondering why his almost-son looked so displeased.

"He said he was Naruto's biological father."

A long silence followed that statement. Kakashi didn't seem to know what to say. He just looked back and forth between Naruto and Sasuke, and occasionally glanced at Kiba. The brunet didn't look too pleased with this, either. Sasuke and the Inuzuka didn't like this man, that much was for sure.

"I see."

"It's not like he just expected me to believe him right off the bat." Naruto muttered, setting a coffee down in front of Kakashi and then taking his place at the table. Sasuke remained standing by the door. "He says he's rich, and he agreed to do a DNA test, so at least I know he's not just lying and after my money."

"I suppose," Kakashi said slowly, which earned him a scowl from Sasuke. He just shook his head. Sasuke was taking this too personally. In a way, Kakashi almost believed the raven hoped it _wasn't_ true, because if it was, it meant he'd have to share Naruto. And if there was one thing Uchihas didn't do well, it was share. Especially not boyfriends.

"Are you going to be heading back out, Kakashi?" Naruto inquired as Kiba let out another monstrous yawn, looking like he was starting to fall asleep again at the table.

"No. No, if it's okay with you, I'd like the stay here for a little bit." He stretched. "I'd like to meet this Pein person." He noticed Naruto wince. "You know, just in case. It's not that I don't trust your judgement, I would just prefer to be cautious." He patted the blond's shoulder affectionately. "You're important to me, and I wouldn't want to see you get hurt. Again."

Nodding, Naruto rubbed the back of his head and mumbled that he was going back to sleep. He walked out of the room, past Sasuke, who didn't even look at him. Wincing, the blond climbed back up the stairs and closed his bedroom door behind him.

* * *

Kakashi lay on his stomach on the large, plush bed in one of the spare rooms of Naruto's house. The man was fast asleep, snoring slightly with the covers half-hanging off the side. Every now and then, he would do a small head-jerk in his sleep, frowning, before his features would soften again and he would continue snoring.

As he slept, his subconscious registered a sharp pain in his leg. He frowned in his sleep, displeased at the sensation. Half a minute later, it came again, harder. Forced out of his hazy slumber, the professor was forced to open sleepy eyes and sit up slightly to look at what the problem was.

He found a scowling Sasuke by the foot of his bed, holding a rolled up magazine. The grey-haired man blinked at him, then started to lie back down so he could go back to sleep, but Sasuke wouldn't allow this. The Uchiha threw the magazine in his face, Kakashi wincing.

"Can I help you, Sasuke?"

"When are you going to stop freeloading off Naruto?" the raven demanded, his frustration easily noticed. "You've been here for almost a week. Shouldn't you be going home and checking in on Iruka or something?"

"He's not here," Kakashi breathed out as he rolled onto his side, getting comfortable again. "He left for a karate competition in Toronto. Won't be back until after school starts."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "When did he leave?"

"Two days ago."

At least they knew Kakashi hadn't just left home because he was bored and alone. But it still didn't make Sasuke happy having an adult around. Adults kept making rules that had to be followed, and the Uchiha had been enjoying his summer much more when there _were_ no rules.

"Still, go home."

"I'm not a freeloader any more than you are, Sasuke," was the older man's reply. "And I'm only staying so I can meet this Pein person."

"Who's _obviously_ not coming back any time soon!" The Uchiha's eyebrow was twitching again.

Sighing and knowing he was never going to be allowed to sleep, Kakashi sat up and regarded the other boy, noting how angry and annoyed he looked. Shaking his head, he let out another sigh.

"Still haven't made up with Naruto, huh?"

"What?!" Sasuke demanded angrily. "Of course I have! This has nothing—you're a pain in the ass!"

"Sasuke, you have to understand something." Kakashi shifted in the bed, scratching at the back of his head sleepily. "Naruto's never had real parents. He's never known what it's like to have a father, so he's just a little excited at the possibility that, after having been told he'd lost both parents as an infant, he might actually still have one."

"I know that!" the raven snapped, crossing his arms and scowling. "This is about you freeloading!"

"I'm not freeloading." Another sigh. Sasuke was so irritable lately. "I'm just staying so I can meet this Pein person and see how I feel about him. Kind of like you _wanted_ me to," he reminded the other boy. "You're the one who's complaining about not trusting him, and how my opinion is important to you, so why are you getting angry with me just because the guy hasn't shown up?"

Stretching, the older man climbed out of bed and headed for the bedroom door, wincing as something hit the back of his head. He grabbed it off his mop of grey hair and stared at the article of clothing. Turning, he saw Sasuke covering his eyes with one hand, his shoulders shaking slightly from anger.

"Put some fucking clothes on before parading around the damn house." Sasuke shoved past the naked Kakashi and slammed the man's bedroom door shut loudly. This earned him a yelp from Kiba's room, the brunet appearing in his doorway a second later, his hair dishevelled and his eyes barely open.

"Jesus, Uchiha, just 'cause your ass is up at eight in the morning doesn't mean we all are!"

"It's almost two in the afternoon, Dog Face, I have no sympathy," was Sasuke's clipped reply as he descended the stairs. He heard Kiba blowing a raspberry at him from behind before the other's door closed loudly.

Sighing, Sasuke walked into the living room and fell down onto the couch, leaning back and rubbing his face with both hands. He knew he was being a jerk, and irritable, but he couldn't help it. Every time he felt like Naruto was all his again, something happened. Itachi, amnesia, Sai, Orochimaru... now this. Sasuke wanted to be selfish and have Naruto all to himself. He wanted to be able to know that whenever he was gone, he was all Naruto thought about. _Very_ selfish of him, yes, but that was how _he_ was whenever Naruto wasn't there. It was only fair for Naruto to be the same way, wasn't it?

He turned towards the front door when he heard the lock twist, then stood. The blond had gone out to get some groceries, and insisted on going alone. He needed to "clear his head," or so _he_ said, anyway. Truthfully, Sasuke knew that he was a little sore at him, still, for having told Kakashi the truth. But honestly, did he think he would be able to hide it forever?

"I promise, he's perfectly harmless," Naruto was laughing as he walked through the door. Frowning, Sasuke moved towards the hallway to see if he was on the phone. His blood boiled angrily when he saw—and heard—Pein, the older man laughing at the blond's comment.

_What part of 'don't go near him when you're alone' did the blond idiot __**not**__ understand?!_ Sasuke stomped towards the front door as Naruto closed it.

"Naruto."

"Hey Sasuke." He had the decency to look sheepish. Good! Sasuke was _pissed_! "Look who I bumped into at Safeway. You remember Pein, don't you?"

"How could I forget?"

Either Pein didn't notice the tone, or he ignored it, because he just smiled as he passed by Sasuke. "It's nice to see you again, Sasuke. I'm glad you're doing well."

"Oh, yeah." Naruto turned his head slightly to look back at the raven as he followed him towards the kitchen. "Pein said he was about to call when we bumped into each other. He got us an appointment for a DNA test later on this afternoon."

"Sorry for the delay, I got sidetracked by work." Pein put the bags he'd been carrying down on Naruto's counter. "I was guaranteed the best and most efficient doctor at the lab. They even said they would send out the results right away so we could get the answer back sooner than usual."

"How'd you manage that?" Sasuke demanded, crossing his arms.

"Money talks, Sasuke." Pein smiled at him, then looked back at all the groceries. "Though I must admit, I'm a little stunned at everything you've bought, Naruto. Didn't you say you were going back to school soon?"

"Huh?" The blond turned from his location by the fridge, then laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, we are. We're going to have a kitchen out there, though, so I guess I was thinking we could drive all this stuff down. I _did_ go a little overboard, though, huh?" He laughed, shaking his head.

"Nothing wrong with being prepared, Naruto." Pein walked over to the blond and patted his shoulder.

The smile Naruto gave the redheaded man made Sasuke's skin crawl with jealousy. That smile was reserved for _him_! _Him_, dammit! Not some stupid redheaded bastard who claimed to be his fucking dad! Fuck!

"Hello, there."

Sasuke screamed and almost hit the ceiling. He whirled around to find a smiling Kakashi, the older man obviously pleased to have scared the shit out of him. He'd been so focussed on his anger he hadn't even heard the professor approach him.

"Hello." Pein seemed somewhat startled at Kakashi's appearance, and Sasuke couldn't tell whether it was more because he hadn't heard him approach, either, or if it was because he hadn't been expecting an adult to be present.

"You must be Pein Akasaka." Kakashi made no move to approach him, nor did it look like he was ready to shake the man's hand. "I've heard about you from Sasuke and Naruto."

"Good things, I hope." The man smiled, also making no attempt to near Kakashi. "I don't believe we've met."

"Kakashi Hatake. Sasuke's guardian." He placed one hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

The raven couldn't help but feel like this situation was slightly awkward. It was like both guardians—if Pein really _was_ Naruto's dad—were standing by to protect their charges from the other's guardian. As if Pein didn't trust Kakashi to be around Naruto. And Sasuke could tell Kakashi _certainly_ didn't trust Pein to be around him.

_Good. Maybe mashed potato brains will finally get the message that Pein is bad news._ The raven's dark eyes bore into Naruto's own cerulean ones, waiting for him to realize something was off, here, but instead of even considering it, the blond merely broke eye contact and slowly started to continue loading up the fridge.

"How long will you be staying, Mr. Hatake?"

"Until school starts." Sasuke smirked at the fact that Kakashi hadn't invited Pein to call him by his first name. Everyone else could tell Pein was bad news, why was Naruto the only one blind to it? And this definitely _wasn't_ only jealousy on Sasuke's part, since Kiba and Kakashi were both kind of wary of him, too.

"Um... so I have an appointment at the clinic downtown later," Naruto informed everyone present, avoiding everyone's eyes as he closed the fridge door. "Just so you all know."

"I'll drive you," Kakashi stated.

"I've already offered," Pein interjected politely.

"That may be so, but due to Naruto's history, I'd much rather be the one to drive him down there," Kakashi informed him, smiling at Pein. Sasuke hoped the redhead couldn't tell just how fake it really was. "He won't be late, I give you my word."

Pein didn't look too pleased, but he begrudgingly accepted. After more tense discussion on when and where the appointment was, he bid Naruto farewell and left the house soon afterwards.

Naruto refused to look at anyone for the remainder of the day.

* * *

Kiba let out a loud grunt as he shoved the last box into the U-Haul they had rented, running the back of his hand across his forehead to remove the sweat threatening to fall into his eyes. Sighing, he looked up at the sky and shook his fist at it.

"Stupid weather! It's the end of August, get cold, already!"

"Most people wish for it to remain warm," Sasuke informed him as he emerged with one more box. Kiba glanced at the box, then at the packed up U-Haul. There was no space for that box.

"What's in there?" he inquired, wondering why he hadn't even seen that there was a box left.

"Sex toys."

The brunet slammed down the back part of the U-Haul with a glare. "Truck's full."

"I was kidding, moron," was the raven's dry reply. "It's actually a few of Shikamaru's things. He asked me to look after them for the summer."

"Doesn't change the fact that there's no space."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke pulled open the passenger side door of the U-Haul and put the box on the seat, wrapping the seat-belt around it to keep it in place. Kakashi had left the day before so he could move his own things into the teacher's quarters, so it wasn't like there was going to be anyone sitting next to the loudmouth brunet, anyway. He and Naruto were taking the blond's car, and Kiba had been dropped off by Neji the first week of summer, so he didn't even have a car.

"Don't you ever miss not going home?" Sasuke inquired as he slammed the door and turned to Kiba. The brunet shrugged.

"Not really. Don't care much about the farm or my parents and sister. Honestly, I mostly just miss Akamaru, my dog. When I don't live in the dorms anymore, which will probably be next year, I'm gonna ask my mother if she can drive him down for me." He smiled widely. "I think you guys would like him. He's really smart."

"No, you're just dumb, so it makes him _seem_ smart to an idiot like you." Sasuke walked away from Kiba, the brunet having practically fallen over from the insult.

"You're a prick, Uchiha!" he yelled after him, shaking his fist.

The raven ignored him, walking back towards the front door, where Naruto stood, biting his thumbnail. He hadn't moved an inch since he'd gotten there over three hours ago. Today was the day they were all heading back out to UBC for their third year of university, and so far, he still hadn't received any mail about the DNA test. If he didn't get it now, before they left, he wouldn't be able to come back and check for it until the week-end, and considering how crazy he'd been going lately, that was too far away for him to wait.

Looking out towards the road and seeing nothing, Sasuke sighed and put his hand on the other's shoulder, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Come on, Naruto. It's time to go."

"It's still early," he insisted, turning to Sasuke. "We can wait another hour. I mean, the mailman doesn't come around until about eleven." He checked his watch. It was almost noon. This made him wince.

"We packed the food up already, we have to head out. It'll barely keep for the drive itself, we can't afford to waste time."

"I'll buy us more."

"It's a waste of money."

"Just one more hour!"

"Naruto, I said _no_!"

"Guys!" Kiba appeared in front of them both, a nervous expression on his face as he noticed how angry they both seemed to be. "How about we wait for another half-hour. Just one half-hour, and if the mail doesn't come, then we book it. Agreed?"

"Agreed," both boys muttered, one shoving his hands in his pockets and the other crossing his arms. Neither looked at the other. Kiba winced.

This whole father thing had really been hard on their relationship, and in a way, he could understand Sasuke's point of view, but he also understood Naruto's. Even if he didn't like this Pein person, he'd agreed to a DNA test so if it wasn't a lie, and he really _was_ Naruto's father, Kiba would be supportive, even if he didn't feel comfortable with the guy.

The three of them stood outside in a tense silence for a while until it was too much for Kiba to bear and he excused himself, practically bolting back into the house. Taking deep breaths to replenish his oxygen supply—which had been cut off drastically due to the tension outside—he pulled out his cell phone and hit the number four, putting it to his ear. It rang twice before someone answered.

"Inuzuka."

"Yo, asshat, it's me."

"Obviously, since I just stated your last name."

"Shut up, Hyuuga, we've got issues over here. I can barely _breathe _from the god damn tension, fuck."

He heard Neji sigh on the other end, not something the Hyuuga did often, and then asked what happened. So, Kiba told him. They were fighting over waiting for the mail. The _mail_! Yes, it might have some important papers in it, but what if today was like every other day? And the papers weren't there? Then what?! Naruto would want to stay one more day—since school didn't officially start for another two—and Sasuke would argue, and they would get in a fight, and Kiba would blow his own head off. That, or leave them both here while he headed out to UBC alone, getting lost for hours because he still didn't know how to get from Mission to Vancouver.

"I think Sasuke is being selfish," Neji stated. "If this man is truly Naruto's father, then he deserves to want to know, and to be excited and anxious to know. Uchiha is just being petty and jealous, it'll pass. Once it becomes clear that Naruto isn't just going to abandon him for his father, he'll calm down."

_Yeah, but it still doesn't change the fact that the guy's a freak, fuck, _Kiba thought as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, trying to force himself not to say those words aloud. He was worried Neji would say _he_ was selfish, too, because he didn't want to lose a best friend.

"Kiba." The brunet turned towards the front door as Sasuke called him, and figured the mail had arrived.

"I'll see you in a bit, Hyuuga."

"Hm. Drive safe."

Kiba slapped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket, heading back for the front door where he found Naruto sitting on the steps, sorting through the mail. The mailman was walking back down the long drive towards the street. Kiba would _hate_ to have that job in an area like this.

"Well?" Sasuke asked impatiently when Naruto froze. Kiba leaned a bit closer to look over his shoulder and saw him staring at an envelope. It had the clinic's name on the front of it, so the papers had finally arrived.

The brunet was glad, because he knew that both Naruto _and_ Sasuke would be going crazy if they hadn't gotten there today. _Took them long enough, too, fuck,_ he thought with a sigh, raking his hand through his hair.

"Are you gonna open it?" he asked carefully.

As if he'd been in a trance, Naruto jolted and turned to look at the other two boys, then turned back to the envelope. He picked it up slowly, holding it as if it were a bomb ready to explode. He flipped it over and carefully tore open the edge, pulling out the papers inside and placing the envelope down. Everything he did was done slowly, and with precision. Kiba almost felt it would probably take him an hour to check, at the speed he was going.

Of course, Sasuke was in a hurry, so he snatched the papers from Naruto, the blond crying out in anger and trying to grab them back, but the Uchiha turned his back on him quickly and leafed through them, stopping on one of the middle pages.

"Sasuke, you asshole!" Naruto snatched the papers back and turned his own back on Sasuke, also leafing through them just as quickly as Sasuke.

Not that it mattered whether he looked at them or not, all he had to do was look at his boyfriend's face and he would have gotten his answer. Kiba did.

The raven looked pale, much paler than usual, and it almost looked like he was going to be sick. That could only mean one thing...

"Oh my God..."

Kiba turned to Naruto, the blond's hands shaking as he stared down at the same middle page Sasuke had stopped on.

"Oh my God! He... holy shit..." He laughed slightly, tears forming in his eyes.

"What? Naruto, what?" Kiba needed confirmation. He needed to hear Naruto say it.

"I have... holy shit, Kiba, I have a dad!" He turned to the brunet and launched himself at him, hugging him tightly as he laughed almost hysterically. "Holy shit! Oh my God, dude, I have a fucking dad! I have a _dad_!"

"Great. That's great, Naruto." Kiba patted his back a few times, feeling a little awkward. When he glanced up to look at Sasuke, the raven wasn't there anymore. He heard a car door slam and turned just in time to see the U-Haul making its way along the drive towards the road.

_Traitor, _Kiba almost pouted. Now he was the one who was going to be stuck with Naruto gushing over his dad when Kiba didn't even like the guy.

Somehow, though... he suspected Sasuke hated him even more...

* * *

"Sasuke, will you calm down a little bit?" Sakura sighed in annoyance as she jogged slightly to keep up with the angry raven. "Are you just going to be mad at him for the rest of your life because he has a _father_? Cause that's totally messed up. Do you have any idea how childish you're acting?"

"You haven't met the guy, you don't _know_!" was the angry, snapped reply as he picked up a box of cereal and practically slam-dunked it into the cart he was pushing. Sakura just winced.

When he'd arrived at Fairview, he'd met up with all the others and unloaded all the stuff inside, being sure to leave Kiba's things with Shino, so that they wouldn't have to re-shuffle everything again. Then the others had said they wanted to go grocery shopping, and since he'd needed time to clear his head, he'd offered to go alone with the U-Haul provided they gave him a list and paid him back. They'd all agreed, but it was clear he needed to go with someone, and since Sakura had virtually unpacked, she offered.

She was kind of regretting it, now, because an angry Uchiha wasn't exactly the best company ever. That, and she found he was being entirely unreasonable, and unfair towards Naruto.

"Even if I haven't met his dad, it doesn't mean your actions right now are justified." She sighed, picking up some oatmeal for Ino and dropping it into her own cart. "I mean, maybe you didn't like him because you felt like he was going to hog Naruto, and you know what? He might!" She kicked the other lightly. "He might hog the blond hottie, but you have to understand that he's got almost twenty years to make up for. It's not like he's purposefully trying to take him away from you, he just wants to be able to spend some time with the kid he never knew he had. So he's a little creepy and possessive, big deal. _So_ are _you_." She poked him in the cheek, then smiled.

Sasuke pressed his lips together, kind of understanding what Sakura meant. He supposed he should be a little more supportive, but a part of him was terrified that if his father made him choose between him and Sasuke, Naruto would choose Pein. It wasn't to say he thought Pein _would_ make him choose, he just had a gut feeling that the guy didn't like him much.

_Well, it's not like I've given him my best impression, what with being an ass and suspicious and jealous..._ He sighed, shaking his head. Naruto was probably pissed at him for having just left the house like that without being there to celebrate with him. That thought made Sasuke wince.

The most important and happiest moment of Naruto's life, and Sasuke had run away to _not_ have to celebrate it. The blond was probably furious. He'd already gotten numerous text messages from Kiba, threatening to kill him and hang him upside down from Buchanan Tower for having taken the U-Haul and leaving him alone with Naruto.

He still didn't know if that was because of how happy the blond was, or if it was because he was angry with Sasuke and taking it out on Kiba.

"How do I fix something like this, though?" Sasuke muttered as he turned a corner. "I'm honestly not sure I _want_ to fix it."

"Stop being a baby." Sakura hit him in the arm, hard. "Naruto _loves_ you, okay? He loves you so much it makes me gag. Have a little faith, would you? His dad's going to be number one on his list for a while, but soon it'll even out and you'll both share the same amount of time in Narutoland."

"Hn."

"That's the spirit." She grinned widely and slapped his back, the raven wincing. He felt she'd done it that hard on purpose.

They both headed for the checkout, being sure to separate everything on the lists so that they could get the appropriate bills for people to repay them. The woman at the till looked about ready to murder them, but Sasuke felt she'd have to get used to it, since school was starting up and pretty much _everyone_ was going to be doing this for their units.

As they exited, Sakura continued to berate him on how childish he was being and how he needed to calm down and stop being such a prick about the whole situation before he lost Naruto for good. The more she spoke, the more he felt like she was right.

They reached the U-Haul and started loading the things in when Sakura let out a gasp.

"What?" Sasuke turned to her.

"Shit, I think I forgot my wallet inside! I'll be right back!" She turned and bolted back for the entrance, Sasuke watching her go for a few seconds before turning back to the task at hand and continuing to load the truck up.

He was almost done when he heard tiles squeal and someone shout. Turning he saw a silver SUV tearing through the parking lot of the Safeway, swerving wildly around people and heading towards where Sasuke and the U-Haul were. Unsure of what he should do, Sasuke just pushed the cart away and half-walked, half-ran towards the wall of the building, heading _towards_ the SUV, essentially.

As he did so, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the SUV was changing course. And instead of heading away from the corner of the building, where the raven was, it was heading _towards_ where he was!

"Sasuke!"

The Uchiha threw himself at the wall as the SUV slammed its left side into the corner, continuing straight and hitting the edge of the U-Haul, causing it to rock slightly, but not flip onto its side.

His heart beating wildly in his chest, Sasuke watched as the driver moved out onto the street and sped away, seeing only the faintest hint of blond hair before the other car was too far away. He hadn't seen enough of the driver to identify him, but he was pretty sure he'd memorized the license plate right. All he could say about the driver was that he had redish-blond hair, which wouldn't help anyone much.

"Sasuke!" He turned as Sakura came bolting towards him, practically leaping onto him. "Oh my God! Oh my God, are you okay?! Are you okay?! What the—holy shit! I thought you were a goner for sure! All I saw was the SUV hit the corner of the building! Oh my God!"

"Sakura, calm down, I'm okay." He hugged her back tightly to reassure her that he was fine, feeling her shaking against him as she clutched his shirt desperately, continuing to blurt out swear words.

Sasuke, himself, clenched his fists tightly to stop them from shaking. That had been close, and a part of him felt like it had been intentional...

* * *

**© 2008 FastForward.**


	3. Paranoid

**AN: So... sorry I've been taking forever to reply to reviews. I totally am, it's just... slow-going... When I'm not working or watching shows, I'm sleeping -sweatdrops- And, you know, writing on occasion. Just been busy, trying to find another job and watching those shows I mentioned and... yeah... So sorry it's slow-going but... I don't have a legitimate excuse, I'm just watching tons of anime -sweatdrops- Sorry. **

**Disclaimer: I disguised myself as a dog-walker to take Kiba and Akamaru for a walk out of K. Masashi's house, but he recognized my starry eyes when I saw Kiba and called the cops on me... again...**

* * *

Sasuke turned the U-Haul into the complex that Fairview consisted of and parked it outside the unit he and his friends lived in. His hands had stopped shaking, but his heart still hadn't calmed down quite yet. He clenched his fists around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white, and took a deep breath.

"Do you want to go see someone?" Sasuke almost jumped, but caught himself at the last second. He'd forgotten Sakura was there.

"No. No, I'm fine. It was just intense, is all. Must've lost control of his steering." The raven frowned, not believing his own words at all, but he didn't want Sakura to have another panic attack. It was almost funny: he was the one who'd almost gotten run over, yet _she_ was the one who freaked out.

"Okay. If you're sure." She watched him carefully, then opened the door to exit.

"Hey, Sakura?" The girl turned back to him. "Don't—don't tell anyone about this, okay? It's a new year, and it was an accident and I-I just want things to be normal, okay? I don't want people to have freakouts because of what happened."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Sure, Sasuke. I'll keep it to myself."

She exited the U-Haul and went to knock on the doors of the other units to tell them to help bring everything in. Sasuke was still sitting at the wheel when he looked up and saw Naruto standing in the doorway of their own unit. The blond didn't look happy, and his eyes were slightly red, as if he'd been crying. The Uchiha winced, looking down at his hands. He didn't want to face Naruto right now, but considering they lived in the same unit, he was going to have to.

_Great..._ Sighing and raking one hand through his hair, Sasuke opened the door and exited the U-Haul, closing it behind himself and shoving his hands in his pockets as he headed up towards his and Naruto's unit.

The blond said nothing, he just moved back into the doorway, Sasuke following suit and shutting the door behind them. It's not like they needed an audience for the conversation they were about to have.

Naruto walked up the small flight of stairs and turned at the landing, Sasuke actually looking around properly for the first time. All the boxes he'd brought in were gone, so Naruto had obviously taken them up to the next floor, where their rooms were.

The unit was set up differently from Gage, and Sasuke honestly felt like this one was more crowded. Whereas Gage had the unit on just one floor, Fairview had two units side by side in a townhouse, both of them with two floors. The first floor consisted of the kitchen and living room area, as well as a bathroom and one of the four rooms in the unit. The second floor held the three remaining rooms, and the second bathroom. The entrance was only five or six steps below the first floor, and Sasuke felt somewhat claustrophobic when he entered and had to climb the narrow steps.

Reaching the living room, where Naruto stood waiting, he noticed the blond had started unpacking, a few of the boxes lying around the room, empty. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Sasuke leaned back against the kitchen counter, regarding Naruto as the blond stood across the room by the windows.

"You know..." Naruto laughed a little, shaking his head. "When Pein—when my dad came to tell us that he thought he was my biological father, I didn't believe him, either. I was suspicious, and wary, and thinking there was a reason he was saying that. As if I hadn't had enough pain in my life." He sniffed, and Sasuke winced, hoping the blond wouldn't start crying. "Do you think I'm an idiot, Sasuke?"

"Do you want an honest answer?" the raven asked, which earned him a glare.

"When we went to the clinic, I made sure it was a good one. I made sure they wouldn't mess with the results. I had someone look into the people who worked there, someone who was watching every step of the way when the DNA samples got sent out, when they came back, when the results were mailed, _everything_. I'm not the naive little boy I was back in First Year. Don't you think after everything that's happened to me—to _me_—I'd be just a _little_ more careful?"

Sasuke clenched his fists as he looked at the ground, feeling like an idiot. Because honestly, he _hadn't_ thought that Naruto would be more careful. He hadn't believed his boyfriend to be capable of thinking about his own safety. And as ashamed as he was to admit it, he was hoping Naruto _wasn't_ smart enough to think about himself, because that meant Sasuke would be able to save him.

Knowing for sure, now, that this man _was_, indeed, his boyfriend's father—it really sucked. He knew he'd talked it over with Sakura, and had admitted to being childish, but it didn't change the fact that Naruto was going to ignore him for a while in favour of spending time with his father. His fucking _father_! God, Sasuke felt like an ass, but at the same time, he was so unbelievably _jealous_!

"I don't even know what to say to you right now, Sasuke." Naruto whispered, shaking his head. "I was so _happy_ when I got that letter. I had a _dad_. After years of-of being alone, having no one but my grandma—I actually had a _real_ parent. And the only person I wanted to share that happiness with..." The blond trailed off and Sasuke felt like someone was stabbing him repeatedly in the heart. "The only person I wanted to share that happiness with stormed off and drove away in a U-Haul."

He looked up at the raven, who kept his gaze until he felt too guilty and had to look away, feeling the other's cerulean eyes burning into him.

"Do you have any idea how that made me feel? It was like—everything had to be about you. I couldn't be happy unless it involved you. That's what it looked like to me. Like, I'm not _allowed_ to be happy about having a dad, because I should be more than content with having _you_ in my life."

Sasuke winced again. _Well, when you say it like __**that**__... it's pretty assholeish... I guess..._ The raven shuffled his feet, kind of understanding more why Naruto was so upset with him. He understood why Sakura and the others were calling him childish. He hadn't really taken a step back to survey the situation properly, and now he _really_ felt like an asshole.

"He already told me he wasn't going to make me choose between him or you, so why are you?"

There was a long silence that followed this statement, Naruto clenching his fists. Sasuke hadn't said one word. Not _one_ word! He'd just stood there, saying _nothing_, for over ten minutes! No apology, no acknowledgement, no _nothing_! It was almost like he didn't care, or something! And that, more than anything—more than him driving off, more than him being a dick, more than anything else he'd ever done—hurt Naruto.

"Are you even going to say anything?!" the blond shouted, causing Sasuke to jump. _"Anything?!"_

"What am I supposed to say?!" the raven shouted back, Naruto's head jerking back in shock. "Just say I'm sorry, and have everything be okay?! Is that what you want?! I'm _sorry_ that I acted like a complete ass, and I'm sorry that I don't like your dad! I'm sorry I didn't stay with you while you celebrated, I'm sorry I acted like I didn't care, I'm sorry you felt like I'm a selfish piece of shit who cares about nothing but myself, I'm sorry I haven't been supporting you lately, and I'm _sorry_ for being _jealous_ of the fact that you have a fucking _father_, okay!"

The Uchiha's chest heaved as he leaned back more against the counter, then sank to the ground, burying his hands in his hair as he struggled to calm himself down. He hadn't meant to freak out like that, but Naruto's words had really hit him hard. And the more he spoke, the more Sasuke realized he was jealous of more than the fact that Naruto was going to be spending time with Pein... he was also jealous of the fact that the blond _could_ spend time with Pein.

"I'm sorry I'm an asshole who thinks about no one but himself." Sasuke whispered, his face buried in his knees. "It was just easier for me when we were the same. When all we had was each other, and the occasional adult we looked up to. But now that you have a dad... I'm jealous that I have to share you, and I'm jealous that I can't have my dad, back, too."

Naruto stared at his boyfriend for a few seconds before sighing and padding across the room. Turning, he leaned back against the counter, as well, then slid to the floor, sitting beside Sasuke. He shifted slightly and rested his head on the other's shoulder, staring across the room and out the window there.

"Sorry. I could've been more tactful," the blond whispered, Sasuke merely shrugging since he didn't really have anything else to say.

The two stayed like that for a while longer until the Uchiha lifted his head and leaned it back against the counter, sighing.

"We're pretty fucked up, huh?"

"Compared to other people, you mean?" Naruto smiled slightly. "Cause we're actually doing pretty well for us."

Sasuke snorted, reaching over to shove the blond slightly. His boyfriend shoved him back.

"Sorry," the Uchiha whispered, turning his head to regard the other boy. "Guess shit's gonna change now, huh?"

"Have we ever had a time in our lives where things haven't?"

* * *

The phone rang shrilly in the small room, the sound bouncing off the walls and seeming to echo insistently in the occupants' ears. Whenever the echo started to go away, the phone would ring again, and the process would repeat itself.

With a grunt, a head emerged slowly from a mess of blankets, blinking open tired onyx eyes as Sasuke stared at the landline phone ringing right beside his head. He could hear another ringing in the room next door, and a final one downstairs by the kitchen.

"Why did we get a landline again?" he asked sleepily, looking over his shoulder at his blond boyfriend, who was still mostly asleep.

"Cause."

Not finding that to be a suitable reply, Sasuke just sighed and reached out to grab the receiver, bringing it to his ear and rolling onto his back.

"Hello?" His tired state could clearly be heard in that one word, Naruto rolling over and resting his cheek against the older boy's upper chest. He sighed and nuzzled closer, getting comfortable so he could go back to sleep.

"Hello, is this Naruto?"

"What?" The words didn't make sense in Sasuke's jumbled mind until a few seconds later. "Naruto? Wait, no. No, I'm not."

"Ah, I apologize for having woken you, then. Can I please speak to him?"

"Sure." Sasuke closed his eyes, feeling sleep returning as he lightly bonked Naruto on the head with the phone. "Moron, it's for you."

"Tell them I'm sleeping," was the mumbled reply.

"No, _I'm_ sleeping. Phone's for you. Take it." He hit him on the head harder, then let the receiver go and took a deep breath.

Whining, the blond fumbled for the phone, putting it to his ear, but not opening his eyes. "Hello?"

"Hello, Naruto. It appears you've forgotten about our appointment. That, or you're avoiding it."

Instantly, the blond's brain snapped awake and he jerked into a sitting position, his heart beating wildly in his chest. This action caused Sasuke to awaken, as well, sitting up and staring at his boyfriend, concerned.

"Naruto?" he inquired, wondering who it could be on the phone. The blond was white as a sheet.

"What—who is this?!" Naruto demanded, his hand shaking. Sasuke's protectiveness kicked in and he yanked the phone from the other's grip, putting it to his ear and speaking before the other could reply.

"Who is this? What do you want?"

A long silence followed before someone chuckled somewhat nervously.

"It appears Tsunade was right about him. And you." Sasuke frowned, not recognizing the voice, and wondering what _exactly_ that statement meant. "Perhaps he never got the message, it was rude of me to assume. I apologize."

"Who _is_ this?" Sasuke looked back at Naruto.

The blond was at the base of the bed, leaning back against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chest and his eyes wide and locked on Sasuke. The raven winced, since whatever this person had started the conversation with obviously hadn't been the right choice. It was probably bringing back memories from the previous year.

"Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Tenzou Yamato. I'm Naruto's psychologist."

Sasuke blinked, the words slowly processing in his mind. He recalled Naruto whining about how Tsunade was forcing him to see a psychologist. They'd been so crazy the past few days, it must have slipped past Naruto's radar that he had an appointment. Maybe...

"Call back in ten minutes."

"Wha—"

Sasuke hung up on him, then turned to Naruto. The blond looked about ready to hyperventilate. Shifting closer to him, Sasuke wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and kissed his forehead. He rested his cheek on the other's brilliant locks, hugging him tightly. He could feel Naruto's shaking diminish, and after a minute or two, it stopped.

"Who was it?"

"I want to check it out before we do anything." Sasuke pulled away and grabbed the phone again. "What's Tsunade's number?"

The blond blinked, confused, but leaned over behind his boyfriend and keyed in the number, not quite understanding what was going on, but trusting Sasuke to handle it.

"What do you want, brat?"

"It's Sasuke," he informed her.

"Doesn't make you any less of a brat than the other one." She was clearly smirking.

"Naruto's psychologist's name, what is it?"

"What?" The president was confused. "Why do you ask?"

"He called and nearly scared Naruto to death with what he said, whatever it was. If you think I'm letting him walk out of this house before I get a confirmation on his name, you're crazy."

Chuckling slightly, the robust blonde laughed. "You're quite the character, Sasuke. Tenzou Yamato."

"Thank you." He hung up on her, as well.

"It was my psychologist?" Sasuke turned to Naruto, the blond seeming to look embarrassed and half-pissed at himself. As if it should have obviously been someone who meant no harm.

"I don't know. I think so." Sasuke stood and stretched. "I'm going with you, anyway. I don't care if the guy tries to chase me out with a chainsaw, I'm staying.

Naruto smiled slightly, then stood up to head back to his own room to put some clothes on. Sasuke was yanking on a pair of sweatpants when the doorbell rang. Grabbing a random shirt and yanking it on as he headed down the stairs, he pulled open the door and was almost hit in the face. Kiba had shoved a bag of McDonalds towards him, and because the brunet was an idiot, he'd underestimated how close Sasuke would be to the door, and had the raven not dodged, he would've gotten hit.

"Breakfast!"

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke sighed, rubbing the back of his head and heading up the short flight of stairs to the first floor, leading Kiba to the kitchen.

"I missed you guys."

"It's been _one_ day."

"I'm used to waking up screaming, fuck." Kiba pouted, dropping the food on the table and sitting down. "I haven't seen you guys make out once in over twenty-four hours. It's weird. You need to go molest Naruto so I can get back into a normal routine." Sasuke blinked at him, the brunet just staring back. "What?"

"You need to be quiet now," was the raven's reply before both turned towards the landline as it rang. Sasuke stood, grabbing it and putting it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Ah—this is Tenzou Yamato. You're not gonna hang up on me again, are you?"

"No. Where's his appointment?"

"My office. I'm in Mary Bollert Hall, room four-thirty-one. He can come when he's ready."

"_We'll_ be there in about twenty minutes."

Sasuke hung up again before the other replied. He wasn't going to listen to the man tell him not to come. He wanted to make sure everything was all right, and to do that, he needed to be present. If this Tenzou dude didn't like that, he could suck his dick.

"Uh, Sasuke?"

"What?!" The raven rounded on Kiba, shouting at him. The brunet's eyes widened.

"Whoa, okay. I'm gonna go." He stood up and waved slightly, rushing towards the door and passing Naruto, who was headed down from the second floor. "Later, blondie."

"Uh, bye?" He watched Kiba bolt out the door, slamming it loudly behind himself, then cocked an eyebrow, looking into the kitchen at his boyfriend. "Did I miss something?"

"He brought breakfast," Sasuke grumbled, sitting at the table and opening the McDonalds bag, pulling things out at random and dropping what he knew Naruto liked at one of the empty spots. The blonde padded over and sat down, picking at his food as Sasuke practically decimated his own meal, frowning down at the table. He was obviously unhappy with the whole situation, but Naruto suspected it had more to do with the fact that the man who was going to be the blond's psychologist had scared the shit out of him the first time they'd ever spoken. Though, to be fair, he probably didn't know Naruto's past and his current fear of telephones.

"So, when's my appointment?"

"Don't know, said we'd be there in twenty minutes."

"Oh." Naruto stared down at his food as he chewed slowly, then looked at what both he and Sasuke were wearing. They'd pretty much just grabbed sweatpants and shirts and yanked them on, but he was pretty sure they should dress a little more appropriately before heading out.

"We should probably change," he whispered, glancing at Sasuke. "We're not exactly dressed for the occasion." He attempted a smile, but the raven didn't return it. He just nodded as he shoved the remainder of his hashbrown into his mouth and stood, heading up the stairs.

Nodding as well, and dumping the rest of his food into the trash, the blond returned to is own room to get dressed, frowning slightly. He knew he was a little messed up right now, but he didn't think he needed a psychologist. All right, maybe that was wording it a little wrong. It wasn't really that he didn't think he needed one, it was more like he felt it wouldn't help. How would this be any different from when he talked to Sasuke? The only thing that separated his boyfriend and this man was a piece of paper saying "professional" and a paycheck.

A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts, the blond turning to see Sasuke dressed and ready in his open doorway.

"Ready to go?"

"I guess." Naruto winced slightly, grabbing his phone and wallet, then following Sasuke back down the stairs.

The two boys exited their unit a few seconds later, Sasuke locking the door before he and Naruto started walking. The blond ran his hand through his hair as Sasuke shoved his own into his pockets, the two of them walking in silence. It wasn't until they reached the Village and continued onward towards Gage that Naruto finally spoke.

"How come you don't need to see anyone?" He pouted slightly. "Why is it only me?"

"Because nothing traumatizing happened to me," the raven replied easily. "You were the one targeted. I was just along for the final ride."

Naruto pressed his lips together, somewhat understanding, but still finding it unfair. He chose not to say anything else for the remainder of the trip. Once they reached Mary Bollert Hall, Sasuke pushed through the front doors, leading the way. Naruto just followed, slouching slightly as they passed offices. He felt as though everyone was watching him, knowing why he was there. They didn't, obviously, but it felt like it.

He'd been so busy being paranoid that he never noticed Sasuke stop and walked right into him. Stumbling backwards, a strong hand wrapped itself around his left arm, pulling him back so he didn't fall. Once he was balanced again, he nodded a thanks to Sasuke before turning to the door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

"Yes, come in." Casting a glance at Sasuke, he grabbed the knob and turned it, pushing open the door. Before he could step in, Sasuke pushed past him, wanting to enter first, as if to make sure it was safe.

The man sitting behind the desk finished writing something down before looking up and smiling. He pointed his pen at Sasuke, laughing a little.

"Now I don't even need to know what you look like to know that you're Sasuke." The raven frowned, eying the man suspiciously as Naruto came up behind him. "It's the eyes." The man before him—who _had_ to be Tenzou Yamato—motioned his own eyes, still smiling. "They're judgmental, and lack trust. Considering everything Tsunade's told me about you, it's easy to spot you."

"Gee, and the fact that we were coming wasn't a dead giveaway," Sasuke replied dryly. This only made Tenzou laugh even more.

"Wow, it's been a while since I've had to deal with people like you." He stood up, moving around his desk and holding his hand out to Naruto, who was still standing awkwardly behind Sasuke. "You must be Naruto. Pleasure to meet you, I'm Tenzou Yamato."

"Hey." Naruto shook his hand.

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to scare you. Your condition is just a little more—severe than I'd anticipated."

"I'm fine, seriously," the blond insisted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I know Tsunade asked you to come to help me out, but I'm fine. I don't need to see anyone, it really won't help."

As Naruto spoke, Tenzou's kind eyes slowly hardened, his smile fading, and a dark aura seemed to suddenly incase him. The change didn't go unnoticed, and Naruto's voice slowly began to die off.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" It wasn't a threat, per se, but the way he asked made it like if Naruto said he was, and was lying, he would be in a lot of trouble.

"Uh..." The blond shot a glance at Sasuke, the Uchiha merely cocking an eyebrow. "I-I guess I could—talk about it a little? Maybe?"

The second he said this, the dark aura was gone and Tenzou was smiling brightly again, inviting Naruto to sit.

"I'd prefer for us to be alone, but I have a feeling Sasuke is going to insist on staying, so I'll leave it up to you. Would you like him to stay, or go?"

"I don't..." Naruto licked his lips, "I don't really mind. Either or."

Sasuke's left eyebrow jerked slightly as he shrugged. "I'll take a walk around. The Anthropology Museum is next door, so maybe I'll check it out. Call me when you're done."

He waved slightly, then closed the door, walking away down the corridor. Tenzou seemed like a good enough guy. Weird, but good. He didn't feel too concerned leaving Naruto alone with him.

Besides, if anything happened to the blond, Sasuke would just kick Tsunade's ass.

* * *

"So the guy was cool, then? He didn't pull out some weird mojo powder shit and try to cast some voo doo spell on you?" Kiba inquired as he reached across the table to grab some more macaroni and cheese. Sasuke didn't bother to stop him anymore. Kiba obviously still felt like he lived with them, and he knew Naruto would get pissed off if he kicked the brunet out of their unit.

"Voo doo?" The blond snorted. "Kiba, I went to see a psychologist, not a Witch Doctor. And even if he had, it's not like I'd remember. Wouldn't that just defy its purpose?"

"I know, but still. He's a type of doctor, and who knows, maybe he was out to get a piece of your young, virgin ass." Sasuke and Naruto both stared at Kiba like he'd gone insane, the other boy looking back and forth between them as he chewed before the words he'd said finally sank in. "Right. Virgin ass. I'm stupid."

"Yes you are." Sasuke informed, which earned him a glare.

"Well, I can see I'm not welcome here." Kiba stood up, bowl of macaroni in hand and fork hovering near his mouth. "I'll just go home to where people appreciate my company." He turned with a huff and headed out of the unit, slamming the door loudly behind him.

"You _do_ know he just came over cause he heard you were making mac'n'cheese, right?" Sasuke turned to smirk at Naruto, the blond laughing and shaking his head.

They continued eating in comfortable silence, both of them thinking about their first day of classes, which would be tomorrow. Both of them had pretty much decided to keep the same professors as much as possible—even Genma and Gai—just in case something bad happened this year, again. This way, they were guaranteed to at least pass, regardless of how well they did. That was the one advantage of knowing all their professors.

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to ask Naruto what his first class was in the morning, the blond's cell phone rang. He reached into his pocket and flipped it open, putting it to his ear as he picked at the food on his plate with his fork.

"Hello?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes jealously as he saw the brightened look on the blond's face, knowing full well who it was just because of how fucking _happy_ Naruto looked. He stabbed into his own food, shoving it into his mouth as he tried to block the other boy out. He wasn't supposed to be jealous anymore, but even knowing that, it didn't stop him. He wanted Naruto all to himself, dammit!

"Yeah, of course you can come over." Sasuke's back tensed at those words, stabbing his macaroni even more brutally. They had class in the morning, dammit, why was Naruto inviting his father over right now?! They didn't have time for him, they had to spend as much quality time together as they could now, before the homework piled up.

_Calm down, Sasuke. It's called sharing,_ he reminded himself, but the scowl still didn't leave. He'd never really been all that good at sharing. But Naruto looked so damn happy, so he should at least try not to be bitter about the whole situation.

"See you soon." The blond hung up, grinning widely. It slowly faded as he looked over at Sasuke, who was stabbing the shit out of his macaroni. "I—I can call him back."

"What?" Sasuke cursed as he realized it had come out more harshly than he'd intended. Looking up, he shook his head. "No, it's okay. Don't worry about it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, of course I am. Spend time with your dad. It's fine." He stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna head over to the Village and grab a coffee. Do you want anything?"

"Uh, sure. Get me a cookie?"

Sasuke turned halfway down the steps, giving Naruto a look. "A cookie? Are you serious?"

"What's wrong with cookies?" The blond stuck his tongue out at the Uchiha, who just laughed, shaking his head, and exited the unit.

He turned left when he got outside and knocked on the door right next to theirs. There were light footsteps, and then the door opened, conveniently being the person Sasuke had come over to see. He motioned the road, his eyes locked on the green ones before him.

"Walk with me."

Gaara stared at the raven for a long while before finally stepping out the door and closing it behind himself. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he followed the Uchiha towards the road, the two of them walking along the sidewalk towards the Village.

They were both silent, neither really having anything to say to the other, though Sasuke wanted to blurt out everything he had told the others about hating Naruto's father. He knew Gaara would probably react the same way as everyone else, though. Namely, call him jealous. Which he was, but that wasn't the entire truth of it all.

"I don't like him, either." Sasuke jumped, not having expected Gaara to speak, but then turned to him once he had.

"Who?"

"The man who is supposedly Naruto's father." Gaara's monotonous voice unsettled Sasuke. It had been a long time since he'd heard it. "He came to see him today while you were both out. I didn't like him."

"Yeah?" Sasuke frowned, staring at the ground. "So you, Kiba and I all don't like him. But the tests are apparently legitimate. Naruto had someone on them the whole way. So even if we don't like it, this guy is his dad."

"It doesn't change the way I feel about him." Gaara stated. "Regardless of how Naruto feels about him, I don't like him. I'm not going to change my attitude towards him just because of Naruto. I care about him, and I'll show my care by hating the person who isn't good for him."

Sasuke made a mental note never to get on Gaara's bad side. He probably wouldn't last very long.

They reached the Village soon afterwards, Sasuke entering the Starbucks on the corner and getting himself a coffee, as well as a cookie for his energetic, cookie-loving boyfriend. Gaara just stood by the counter looking intimidating. Soon afterwards, they were both headed back towards Fairview in silence.

Sasuke didn't know why he'd asked Gaara to come with him, considering the redhead was just as silent and broody as he was, but he supposed he'd needed someone else to agree with him. Someone else to tell him it wasn't just jealousy, and that this man really wasn't giving off good vibes.

It wasn't like the raven was intentionally trying to hurt Naruto. He wanted him to be happy, but everything about Pein screamed 'wrong' and it was hard for Sasuke to ignore. They'd gone through so much already, and he honestly didn't think Naruto would be able to handle any more problems. The blond always said he would never commit suicide, but any more pain, and he just might start considering it. And that was what worried him.

When they reached Fairview again, there was a car parked near the roundabout outside their unit, and Sasuke knew it had to be Pein. He glanced at Gaara, who just glared at the car as they passed it. Both climbed the stairs towards the doors of their units, and then Gaara disappeared into his own without another word. Sighing, the raven shook his head and entered his own home, closing the door behind himself.

He walked up the small flight of stairs and into the living room, where he saw Pein sitting on the couch, looking around. When he caught sight of Sasuke, he smiled a little too widely.

"Hello, Sasuke. How are you?"

"Fine." He put the blond's cookie on the table. "Where's Naruto?"

"He went to his room to fetch his photo album. He should be back in a second, if you wanted to join in on our conversation."

"Thanks, but I'm good. I'll leave you two alone." He motioned the cookie on the table. "This is his, let him know."

"Sure." Pein was still smiling at him with that same, joker-like smile. It was unsettling.

Nodding, the raven turned and headed up the stairs to the second floor just as Naruto was coming down. He looked startled to find Sasuke there, his eyes wide. "Sasuke! You're-you're back."

"Yeah. I live here," he reminded him as he moved past, continuing up the stairs. "Your cookie's on the table."

"Right. Thanks."

As the raven reached the landing, he turned to watch his boyfriend heading down the stairs and then disappear around the corner. That had been a little odd. He knew the blond was kind of tense because of how Sasuke felt about his father, but that had been even weirder than usual.

Shrugging it off, the Uchiha turned towards his room when he felt a draft coming from Naruto's. Turning, he peeked into the darkened room and saw the blond's window wide open, the wind blowing a few of his papers around.

"Idiot. He's gonna let in the damn squirrels." Sasuke muttered as he flicked on the lights and headed for the blond's window.

He'd learned from a few other people last year that Fairview was notorious for its squirrels. They were sneaky little buggers who would find an open window and then invade the unit for the entire year, constantly avoiding capture. He wasn't interested in finding a squirrel staring at him when he woke up. Or worse, while he was having sex with Naruto. He shuddered at the mere thought.

Pulling the window closed and rearranging the blond's curtains, Sasuke turned to head back into his room. As he reached the lights to turn them off, he saw something glinting out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see what it was. His heart skipped a beat and he ran towards the blond's desk, staring down at what was sitting on the smooth wooden surface.

Turning, he bolted out of the room and flew down the stairs. He'd trusted Naruto, he _had_, but now he was thinking Naruto might not have been as fine as he'd thought.

Because if he was fine, there wouldn't be two full needles of Heroin on his desk.


	4. Fights and Perverts

**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS!!!! I know this took me a long time to get out, and I'm sorry everyone had to wait for so long, but I'm actually going through a lot of personal issues at the moment, and they're very upsetting so writing isn't exactly the first thing on my mind. I've received quite a few PMs and one or two reviews from people getting mad at me for not updating. I'm sorry you feel gipped, but I have more important things on my mind than this story. I always leave messages on my front page when something has happened, so if you ever notice it takes me a long time to write or reply to reviews, please check my front page instead of messaging me with insults over the fact that I haven't updated. **

**Additionally, thanks to everyone who's offered support, I really appreciated it :)**

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* * *

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_**Previously:**_

_Pulling the window closed and rearranging the blond's curtains, Sasuke turned to head back into his room. As he reached the lights to turn them off, he saw something glinting out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see what it was. His heart skipped a beat and he ran towards the blond's desk, staring down at what was sitting on the smooth wooden surface._

_Turning, he bolted out of the room and flew down the stairs. He'd trusted Naruto, he had, but now he was thinking Naruto might not have been as fine as he'd thought._

_Because if he was fine, there wouldn't be two full needles of Heroin on his desk._

* * *

The image of the two needles of heroin sitting on Naruto's desk were burned in his mind as Sasuke bolted down the stairs at full speed. He cursed himself internally for having left Naruto alone, but he'd honestly thought the blond was getting better. He hadn't mentioned his need for a while, now.

Sasuke felt so _stupid_!

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he bolted into the joint living room/kitchen as Naruto motioned a picture to his dad. Without a word, he ran up to them, grabbed Naruto's right arm, and yanked it straight. The blond cried out and then turned to yell at Sasuke, but the older boy ignored him, inspecting the inside of his elbow. Satisfied, he let the arm go and grabbed the blond's other wrist, pulling the arm straight again. Nothing.

Letting out a relieved sigh, he allowed the blond to pull his arm free, Naruto rubbing at his wrist painfully.

"What the hell is your problem, Sasuke?!"

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, no shit!" the blond snapped, still rubbing his wrist. Pein was looking back and forth between them, confused. Sasuke had no intention of filling him in.

"Naruto, I was just—" he cut off, letting out a frustrated growl as he raked one hand through his hair. He didn't want to say it in front of Pein, Naruto would never forgive him. "I was checking."

"For what?!"

Sasuke said nothing, he just pressed his lips together in a thin line and stared at Naruto. Slowly, the blond's frown disappeared and his eyes widened slightly. He cast a quick glance at his father before turning back to look at his boyfriend.

"Um, give us a minute, okay?" Naruto whispered as he stood, leading the way towards the stairs.

"Ah, sure, Naruto." Pein sounded even more confused.

The raven turned to follow his lover up the stairs, watching as the blond turned into his room but kept the lights off. Sasuke joined him a second later.

"Why—" Naruto sounded half-angry, half-hurt. "Why would you do that in front of my _dad_?!"

Pressing his lips together again, Sasuke merely reached out for the light switch and flicked it on. His eyes shifted towards the blond's desk.

Turning, Naruto followed his gaze. The second his eyes fell on the heroin, his stomach dropped and his entire body went numb with fear. Then, barely a second later, his heart rate increased and his blood began to boil. His hands shook at his sides as something clawed at the back of his mind, screaming, begging, _needing_ the drug sitting on his desk.

Naruto moved closer to the wooden surface, reaching out one hand, not even noticing how badly it was shaking. Just before his fingers touched one of the needles, a firm grip closed around his wrist, pulling him away and hugging him tightly.

A part of him wanted to cry and thank Sasuke profusely for having stopped him. Another part of him wanted to beat the raven to within an inch of his life and then take the drug that would make him forget everything.

All the nightmares, all the memories... God, he just wanted it—_needed_ it!

"Sasuke..."

"I'm right here," the raven reassured him, holding him tightly. "I'm right here."

Naruto clenched the material of Sasuke's shirt desperately, his whole body shaking with want. With _need_. At this point, it didn't matter whether Naruto wanted the drug or not, his body needed it.

"Naruto, where did you get that?" Sasuke asked as he rubbed the other's back soothingly. "Where did they come from?"

The blond merely shook his head, tightening his grip on Sasuke. He didn't know. It hadn't been him. When he'd come up earlier to get the photo album, he could've sworn he looked at his desk and the needles weren't there. They weren't him, he didn't do it!

"I don't—they weren't there."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes angrily, glancing at the blond's bedroom door. It was Pein. It had to have been Pein. Who else would have done it?

"Naruto, did Pein do this?"

Instantly, the blond shoved Sasuke away, the raven almost losing his balance but catching himself at the last second, and staring at his lover, confused. Naruto had his fists clenched at his sides, his teeth grit and his eyes narrowed.

"Of course, immediately, the first person you blame is him, right?"

"Naruto, that's not—"

"He never even _came_ upstairs!" Naruto exploded. "He arrived and we sat down in the living room and he hasn't moved an inch since he got here! For all I know, _you_ put these here!" Sasuke's head snapped back, and before he could recover enough to ask him what the hell that was supposed to mean, Naruto continued. "You're jealous and angry that I have someone, that I don't _need_ you as much as I used to! So you went out to get heroin just so I would _need_ you again!"

"What?!" Sasuke exploded. "That's ridiculous! I would never do that!"

"It's not a secret that you're angry about the fact that I have a father, Sasuke."

"Not angry enough to do something like this!" the raven yelled back angrily.

He couldn't _believe_ Naruto was accusing him! Sasuke wanted nothing more than to look out for his boyfriend, and ever since Pein showed up, it was like _he_ was the bad guy, or something! Like he wanted to make Naruto miserable, when there was no way that was the case! Dammit, he couldn't even believe the blond had said that!

* * *

The two of them stared at one another angrily, Sasuke clenching his fists and really wanting to punch Naruto right now, but he refrained. Taking a deep, calming breath, he forced himself to be civil.

"I'm gonna take these to Kiba's. I'll leave you alone with your dad. See you tomorrow."

Snatching the heroin off Naruto's desk, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the blond's room, stomping angrily down the stairs. Pein was waiting near the bottom, concern evident on his face as Sasuke shoved past him.

"Is everything okay?"

"Peachy, thanks for your perception," Sasuke snapped, yanking open the door, and then slamming it hard behind him. He had the insatiable urge to pull it open and slam it again, but refrained. He instead took out his frustrations on Kiba's doorbell.

"All right, all right! I'm coming, fuck!" The door opened to reveal a half-dressed Kiba, the brunet rubbing the back of his head, looking annoyed. "What?"

"I'm sleeping on your couch." Sasuke pushed past Kiba into the unit, ignoring the other boy's protests. He knew Kiba really didn't care, it was just in his nature to argue against everything.

He headed up the short flight of stairs, walked into the living room where the rest of the unit's residents were located, and plopped down on the couch. Crossing his arms, he narrowed his gaze at the television, tightening his grip around the heroin in his hand. He ignored everyone's questioning gaze, Kiba walking up to him and standing in front of him.

"I can't see the T.V."

"What's going on?"

"What are you holding?" Temari inquired.

"Heroin."

A long silence followed that statement and Kankurou leaned forward to grab the remote and turn off the television. They all continued to stare at him as he just kept his gaze facing forward, his eyes almost level with Kiba's crotch. He didn't really pay any attention to that fact.

"Where did you get that?" Kiba inquired.

"Naruto's room."

There was a small gasp from his right and he could see Hinata with her hand in front of her mouth. He ignored her, Kiba pressing his lips together.

"Where did he get it?"

"I don't know. He said he didn't even know. It just magically appeared on his desk." Sasuke's glare intensified, his grip tightening even more. The others heard a slight cracking sound and Kiba winced, moving forward to take the heroin from the other's grip.

"I'm gonna go... find something to do with this." He turned and headed towards the bathroom to get rid of it, but everyone else just kept their eyes on Sasuke.

"What happened, Sasuke? You're acting more annoyed than usual," Kankurou commented, which earned him a slap from Temari. It was obvious something had happened between the Uchiha and his blond boyfriend, but Sasuke wasn't likely to freely hand out information on the subject.

As Kiba was heading back over from the bathroom, someone knocked at the door, so he deviated from his path and went to open it. "Oh," was the only thing that came out of his mouth, the shock not going unnoticed by the person at the door.

"Can I talk to him, please." Naruto shifted his weight, his hands in his pockets. Kiba just turned to look over at Sasuke through the railing, the raven huffing and standing up. He stomped to the door, pushing past Kiba, and slammed it once he'd stepped outside. He didn't want an audience, not that he thought anyone in the unit would purposefully listen if they had a yell-fest in their doorway.

"What?"

"Well, thanks," Naruto said dryly. "Thanks for helping make this easier for me."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but you _blamed_ me for the h—" he cut off abruptly when he realized he was about to say the word 'heroin.' "You blamed me for what was in your room. As if I _wanted_ your attention _that_ bad!"

"I was panicked!" Naruto screamed angrily. "You think I was in the right frame of mind when I saw what was sitting on my desk?! I know I exploded on you, that's why I told my dad to go home and I came over here! To _apologize_!" he hollered. "Not that you're making it particularly _easy_!"

"Sorry?" Sasuke took a step forward. "Sorry?!" he yelled in Naruto's face. "You think what you said to me can be fixed with the word 'sorry'?!"

"What do you _want_ me to say?!"

Sasuke's words froze in his lungs when one of the neighbouring doors opened and Gaara looked out at them dispassionately. The raven's chest heaved as he struggled to calm himself down, and he could see Naruto clenching his fists angrily.

"If you're going to have a lover's quarrel, it should be done in the privacy of your own unit. Not outside where everyone can witness it." He stared at them both for a few seconds longer, and then closed the door.

Naruto took his advice and turned around, kicking open the door to their unit. Sasuke stomped inside after him, slamming the door behind himself. The two turned to one another as soon as they both reached the living room, and just stared at each other.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Why am _I_ like this?" Sasuke demanded. "Why are _you_ like this?! You've been acting differently ever since you found out you had a dad!"

"We've already had this discussion, Sasuke." Naruto sat down and rubbed his face, annoyed. "This is getting ridiculous. I'm not going to keep having this fight with you." He stood up, shaking his head. "I'm going to bed. We have class tomorrow. I'm sorry for what I said. Whether or not you wanna believe me is up to you." He pushed past the raven and headed up the stairs, his door closing almost silently a few seconds later. Sasuke just scowled angrily. This year was turning out worse than the others, and this time, he didn't have the luxury of blaming it on other people.

* * *

Sasuke's head jerked up off his pillow as he heard his alarm clock explode to life right beside his head. He flailed about slightly to turn it off, hitting it after a few seconds and groaning, rolling over. He'd lost hearing in one ear from the damn thing, and now he was wondering how long it would take for it to come back.

He started dozing off again when another alarm clock went off, this one coming from another room. His eyes slowly opened once more and he sighed, rolling onto his back and sitting up. He stretched as he listened, waiting for Naruto to turn off his own alarm, but he never did. Frowning, Sasuke stood up and headed for the room next door, knocking lightly.

"Naruto? Naruto, can I come in?"

Upon receiving no answer, he walked in and noticed the bed was empty. Frowning, he walked over and turned off the alarm clock, a note taped to the top of it. Pulling it off, Sasuke read it aloud to himself.

"Wanted to make sure you got up. See you in class." He snorted and threw the note into the bin, shaking his head. "Even when he's pissed at me, he can't stay mad."

Sasuke still wasn't sure how he felt about what Naruto had said the night before. The two of them fighting was one thing, but Naruto accusing him of stashing heroin in his room was a completely different ball game. That would've been like... Like Sasuke accusing Naruto of having killed his parents. That was how much the statement had hurt him, and he knew if he'd ever accused Naruto of killing his parents, the blond would understand just how much the statement _had_ hurt.

Running his hand up the back of his head, he made sure his hair was sticking up the way he liked it as he headed back for his room to grab some clothes. He was packing up his bag when he heard the doorbell ring, and he didn't even have to go downstairs to guess who it was. Grabbing the strap of his back pack, he slung it over his shoulder and grabbed his keys and phone, rushing down the stairs and then opening the door.

"You ready to header? We have English with our favourite lazy-ass professor." Kiba smiled widely, his hands in his pockets. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and looked out.

"Where's everyone else?"

"They all had early classes. You and I are the only late sleepers this year." He wrapped his arm around Sasuke and pulled him out of the unit. The raven grunted, pulling free and closing the door, turning to lock it. Once that was done, the two walked down to the main road and headed up towards the Village so they could go down University Boulevard towards Buchanan.

"You didn't sleep on my couch last night, so I'm assuming you and Naruto made up." Kiba turned to glance at him.

"No, we didn't." Sasuke scowled. "He's being—well, I don't even really know anymore. He's not acting like himself. It's frustrating." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, glaring at the ground. "I mean, if this is how he felt last year when I had amnesia, no wonder he almost got with Sai."

"Hey, shut up, Uchiha! He's just trying to enjoy his time with daddy, fuck." The brunet hit Sasuke's shoulder, hard. "I mean, as much as we all hate the fucker, it's his _dad_. Not like we have the right to be asses. Especially not you."

"It's not even that. It's the—he blamed me for the heroin!"

"He was tripping out, fuck." Kiba pushed Sasuke to the right when the other forgot to turn. "He said so himself while yelling outside." The Uchiha turned to glare at him, as if he'd been purposefully eavesdropping. "Hey, blondie was loud. We all heard it. Put away those daggers, man."

Kiba shook his head as he climbed up the stairs to Buchanan B, turning into their classroom once they reached it and letting Sasuke catch up in his own time. The room was empty, save for a girl who was sitting near the back reading a book. She looked up when he sat down.

"Do you have class in here soon?"

"About ten minutes." Kiba nodded.

"Oh, all right." She started packing away her things as Sasuke stomped into the classroom, brooding, and fell down beside Kiba.

The brunet stared at him, then sighed and shook his head. He didn't know what to make of Sasuke and Naruto's relationship anymore. Both of them were acting like children, in his opinion, and it seemed like they spent more time fighting than actually getting along anymore. He was considering telling them to maybe take a little break and move into different units, but he knew both of them were too stubborn to admit their relationship was having problems.

And who could blame them? After everything they'd been through, the fact that something like _this_ was breaking them apart was somewhat ridiculous. Even Kiba couldn't really believe it. Then again, maybe this was kind of a clue that they needed to take a little break. As much as they loved each other, right now, Naruto had a father, and Sasuke was angry because of what Naruto had said the night before. Even just a weekend apart might help them. But again, Kiba wouldn't bother suggesting it.

The door opened and both looked up, seeing Kakashi amble in, reading his usual dirty novels and not paying attention to where he was going. He bumped into three tables before finally finding the front desk and sitting down on it.

"Hey, pervert."

"Nice to see you again, too, Sasuke."

The raven snorted, turning to look out the window past Kiba's head.

The door opened again a few minutes later, with Ino and Sakura entering and chattering excitedly to Kiba about their classes, the brunet doing his best to seem interested. The rest of Sasuke's friends slowly filed in, all of them sitting around the first two but no one taking the seats beside either Kiba or Sasuke. The only two who hadn't arrived yet were Kankurou and Naruto, both having been in the same class beforehand.

"What class were they both just in?" Sasuke asked Kiba, the brunet turning to him and cocking an eyebrow.

"Okay dude, when you need to ask _me_ what _your_ boyfriend's schedule is... we've got problems." The glare he received made him decide to just answer the question. "Forestry. With Naruto's psychologist person. It's over in the Forestry building in the Engineers' part of campus, so it's quite the haul."

"That's only about seven minutes away."

"Which is a long fucking haul, fuck." Kiba shook his head as both heard footsteps in the corridor. The door opened soon afterwards, Kankurou walking in first. Naruto shoved past him rather roughly and made his way to his seat—choosing the one beside Kiba.

Kankurou seemed uncertain what to do as he noticed Sasuke staring daggers at the blond, who was pointedly ignoring him. Coughing, Kankurou made his way to the seat beside Sasuke and sat down, shifting awkwardly.

There was silence.

Kakashi didn't even have to look up from his book to know something was wrong. "Well, there's nothing tense in this atmosphere at all." He snapped the book shut, looked up, and smiled. "What did I miss?"

"Lover's quarrel," Gaara stated simply from the corner, gazing out the window with his arms crossed.

"It's not a lover's quarrel," Sasuke snapped.

"Well, what would _you_ call it, then?" Kiba grunted under his breath, only to cry out in pain as Naruto hit him hard across the back of the head, a blow which was followed by Sasuke doing the same. "Ow! Fuck! Stop abusing me cause you're pissed at each other!"

"We're not pissed off!" Naruto insisted.

"Oh, of _course_ not." Kankurou rolled his eyes, which earned him a smack across the back of the head, as well. "Ow!"

The two brunets continued to argue with Naruto and Sasuke about their fight, which earned them continuous smacks, something which they didn't seem to understand were linked to one another. Everyone else chose to stay out of the whole situation to protect their braincells.

Just as Kakashi opened his mouth to give his two cents, someone's phone rang loudly in the room, all conversation coming to a halt. The ring stopped. Silence. And then it rang again.

It was the _Ironman_ theme song, and all eyes slowly turned to look at the owner of that particular ring tone, Kakashi smiling slightly.

"If it's for me," he opened his book to start reading again, "tell them I'm busy."

"Sorry," Naruto mumbled as he snapped his cell phone open. "I'm in class, can we talk later?"

"psychologist," Kiba whispered to Sasuke when he noticed the other glaring at the blond's phone. Even with the confirmation that it wasn't his boyfriend's father, he still didn't lose the glare.

"Kakashi." The professor looked up at Naruto as he spoke his name. "Professor Yamato says to stop indulging in your dirty novels and to talk about our upcoming semester."

The grey-haired man blinked, snapping his book shut and smiling, amused. "Oh? And how does Professor Yamato know anything about me when I don't recall ever having met him?"

"Tsunade told him."

"Ah." He jumped off the desk. "Well then, tell him you need to get off the phone, and I'll start."

"I gotta go. I'll call you later for an appointment." He hung up without waiting for an answer, then looked up to find Kakashi looming over him. The professor grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him out of his chair, shoving his back pack into the blond's arms. He then dragged him down the row, grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt, and yanked _him_ to his feet, as well.

Once both of them had their belongings and were just staring at Kakashi in confusion, he pulled them both to the door, kicked it open, and pushed them out.

"Your tension is going to disrupt the class, and Kiba and Kankurou don't have enough braincells to spare for you to be hitting them like that."

"Hey!"

He smiled at them and then waved, closing the door, his footsteps heard as he returned to his spot at the front of the class.

Both boys shifted awkwardly, Sasuke rearranging the strap of his bag before turning and walking towards the door to head back to Fairview. Naruto caught up to him a few seconds later.

"You still pissed?"

"You're the one who sat beside _Kiba_," Sasuke snapped.

"I'll take that as a yes." He started to speed up to get away from the raven only to have his arm grabbed.

"Wait, where did I say I was still mad?"

"Your tone," Naruto stated dryly, turning to his boyfriend.

"Look," Sasuke let out a deep, annoyed breath. "Things have been a little weird for... a while. And I know it's not your fault, and you know it's not mine, it's just..." He trailed off, raking a hand through his hair. "Considering how much I was there for you this summer, to hear you say what you did about the heroin wasn't only hurtful, it was insulting."

"I already said I wasn't in the right frame of mind," Naruto argued. "Not to mention you immediately jumped on my dad as the cause."

"Well, who else could it have been?" Sasuke demanded. "At the time, I hadn't known he hadn't gone upstairs. You jumped on me, too, you know. And if you still insist it wasn't you, and he never went upstairs, and _I_ know it _certainly_ wasn't me, then _how_, exactly, did the heroin get on your desk?" The raven crossed his arms, staring down his lover.

Naruto kept his gaze for a long while, then looked away, shrugging and frustrated that he didn't have an answer to that. It wasn't his father. He _knew_ it wasn't Sasuke. And it hadn't been him. So as much as he wished he knew who'd done it, he didn't.

"I don't know." He grit his teeth. "You might think I'm lying, but I honestly don't. When I went upstairs to get my photo albums, I went up, and there was nothing on my desk." He looked at his boyfriend's face for any signs of mistrust. "I swear to God, Sasuke, there was _nothing_ there. I came back down as you were going up, and I knew you were still sore about my dad being there, so I tried to just get past you as fast as possible so that we wouldn't fight again. Next thing I know, you come barrelling down the stairs, and I get up to my room and there's heroin on my desk." He clutched his upper arm tightly as he said the word 'heroin,' as if the mere word was making him crave it. "I don't... I wish I could tell you how it got there but I _don't know_. I don't." He shook his head, his voice having lowered

Sasuke's entire body just slouched with defeat. He didn't think Naruto was lying, and he knew he wouldn't protect Pein for something this big, so the older man hadn't been upstairs. That still didn't answer how the drugs had gotten there, though. And it didn't answer the question on who was fucking with them.

Because Sasuke _knew_ this wasn't a coincidence. He almost got run over at Safeway, and all of a sudden his recovering drug-addict boyfriend has drugs in his room that he didn't put there? Someone was out to get them.

_How is this any different from the last two years?_ The raven thought with a sigh, reaching forward and pulling Naruto into a hug, kissing his temple. "It's okay, Naruto. It'll be okay. And besides, at least this year you have someone you can talk to if you ever feel like you can't talk to me." His grip tightened on his lover, and his tone suggested he hoped things would never come to that.

"You mean Yamato?"

"Yeah. I think he'll be good for you."

"Mm." Naruto pressed his lips together. "I just hope he survives all the _other_ professors."

* * *

Genma Shiranui gave a low whistle as he held a pair of binoculars to his eyes, staring out one of Kakashi's back windows. He was leaning forward on a table to rest his arms, the man barely even blinking as he watched the sight unfurling before him.

"Damn, Kakashi, you always have the best views."

"Yeah, how about giving _me_ the chance to oogle the view?" Kakashi snatched the binoculars from Genma's hands and pressed them to his own eyes.

"Hey, not fair! You get to look whenever you want!" The long-haired professor grabbed the binoculars, the two of them fighting for control of them, though Kakashi was mostly winning since they were still against his eyes, thus allowing him to continue looking at what they both wanted to stare at.

Raidou Namiashi stood in the grey-haired man's kitchen, shaking his head with disapproval, but still unable to find the right words to say. He looked up when he heard a triumphant sound emit from his lover's mouth, Genma once again in possession of the binoculars and staring out the window. Kakashi seemed too lazy to bother fighting him anymore, so he just headed into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

"I can't believe how perverted you both are. Have you no morals?" The second the words left his mouth, he quickly continued when he noticed both men about to answer. "Of course not, how could I have forgotten who I was talking to?"

"Beats me," Genma offered from the window.

"But—seriously!" He turned to Kakashi. "What would Iruka say?"

"It's not like I'm hurting anymore." The younger man rolled his eyes. "And he's not even here. Gone for I don't know _how_ long, and he decides to 'unwind' at home the second he gets back." Kakashi's hands had come up to do quotes around the word 'unwind,' as if he didn't understand how his lover could possibly unwind anywhere that didn't include the pervert himself.

"Oh, he's moved on from push-ups to pull-ups," Genma informed his friend from the window.

"Stop teasing me if you're not gonna let me watch," was the pouted reply.

"Don't you find this wrong even the slightest, _tiniest_ bit?" Raidou sighed.

"Hey man, if they leave their blinds open, they're fair game!" Genma insisted, turning towards the kitchen to grin at Raidou. "If they choose to exercise in the living room with the curtains open so that Kakashi and I may gaze upon their Godlike physique, that is their prerogative."

Raidou blinked. "That guy would have a _field day_ with you, Genma."

"We've already met." Genma grinned. "He's already decided he doesn't want to even attempt to understand me."

"Goody."

Genma returned to watching Yamato do pull-ups in his living room, licking his lips as he watched the other's arm muscles bulge with each pull up he did. His white wife-beater was already drenched in sweat, and his hair was sticking to his forehead and the back of his neck. He looked decidedly yummy while working out, and Genma was looking forward to seeing the psychologist with a significant other. Now _that_ would be nice to watch.

"We should invite him over so you can stare at him in person," Raidou said dryly, joking, of course.

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Genma exclaimed, which caused the scarred man's jaw to drop.

"I was kidding."

"But I liked it."

"I was _kidding_! Kakashi!" Raidou turned to the grey-haired man, only to blink in confusion as he found him gone.

"Oh, hey, Kakashi went to see Yamato," Genma informed as he held the binoculars to his eyes again. Raidou all but fell over, wondering how he had survived thus far being friends with the crazy people he was friends with. He was only thankful that Gai Maito had been forced to teach a night class this semester, and thus was unavailable to add to the chaos and mayhem of the situation.

_Spoke too soon,_ he thought with a sigh as he glanced at the time. Gai's class was going to be out in less than ten minutes. _At least Ibiki's moved off-campus and Anko got herself a place on the other side of where we are. _He sighed deeply. He was still stuck with the crazy ones, but at least the whole group wouldn't be together as often as they had been in the past. Both a blessing and a curse. Not to mention he sort of missed talking to Asuma, but he didn't want to bother the man now that he was living with Kurenai somewhere. Not that he ever felt bad bothering Iruka and Kakashi, but for some reason, to Raidou, two men in a relationship didn't really make him feel bad when he interrupted them. Probably because Kakashi made no effort to control his own timing, either.

He turned to the front door as it opened, Yamato being ushered in by Kakashi, looking around somewhat stunned.

"Wow, your—place isn't as messy as I thought it would be."

"He's just moved in for the semester. Come back tomorrow and you'll see the flat you were expecting to see." Raidou smiled and walked forward, holding out one hand. "I'm Raidou Namiashi."

"Tenzou Yamato. Nice to meet you." Yamato had a towel resting across the back of his neck and both hands came up to pull at either end lightly after having taken Raidou's hand. "I heard from Tsunade that you're pretty much the only normal one around here. You keep the crazies in check."

"As in check as I can, anyway." Raidou laughed.

"Hi Yamato!" Genma waved happily from the window. "Remember me?"

"You're—hard to forget." The raven forced a smile, Kakashi snorting at his comment.

"I'll just take that as a compliment."

"Whatever makes you happy." Raidou bowed his head and rubbed his eyes as he noticed Genma practically _waving_ the binoculars around, something which he did mere moments before Yamato commented on them. "What are you doing with those?"

"Looking at stuff." Genma hid them behind his back.

"At what? The only view you'd get from Kakashi's window is..." He trailed off once he reached Genma's side, the long-haired man having the decency to look sheepish, while Kakashi muttered about Genma making him lose his late night television as realization dawned on Yamato's face.

"I like your interior decorating?" Genma offered weakly as Yamato continued to stare straight ahead. Then, slowly, his face turned towards the long-haired man, his eyes wide and his jaw clenched. All the colour drained from Genma's face.

"You'll never spy on me ever again."

"Okay," Genma said in a high-pitched voice, handing Yamato the binoculars, and hurriedly rushing to Raidou so he could hide behind him.

The scarred man looked at Genma, then at Yamato, then back at Genma. "Yamato—you have _got_ to teach me how to do that."

* * *

Naruto sat with his face resting in his hand as he stared at the computer screen in front of him. He let out a giant sigh as he chose an answer and moved on to the next one, feeling his eyes slowly shutting before he caught himself and opened them wide.

It wasn't that he was tired or anything, he was just so unbelievably bored that his brain was trying to make him sleep, as if it were the better option at this current moment in time. Which, honestly, it was. He was really annoyed to be doing this to begin with.

He heard movement on the bed behind him and took a break from his homework to turn around. Sasuke was lying on his bed, reading a book, snorts and chuckles occasionally making their way to Naruto's ears. He smiled as he noticed the raven cuddling with his favourite orange pillow, mostly because whenever he did that, it meant the raven's smell would be there when Naruto fell asleep. Not that Sasuke wouldn't be in the bed with him, but it was just something he'd started to notice as their relationship progressed.

It was weird to think that a few hours ago, they'd been insanely pissed at one another, but that was pretty much how their relationship worked. They fought and made up within a few hours, because they both knew they couldn't stay mad at one another, despite how stubborn they both were. It was too hard.

"Whatcha readin'?" he inquired, causing Sasuke to look up.

"I don't know, to be honest. I picked it up randomly from your shelf." He lifted the book to show the blond the title, and Naruto snorted.

"You're starting the third book of a series, bastard."

"Whatever. It's still entertaining." Sasuke shrugged, looking back down to continue reading. "How's the homework coming?"

"Ugh, slowly. I can't believe Ibiki gave us homework on the _first day_!" he whined and slammed his head against his desk. "The man is evil."

"He's just trying to weed out the slackers." Sasuke closed the book and jumped off the bed. Wrapping his arms around the blond from behind, he kissed his temple, letting his hands wander along the other's toned chest.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto sat up and turned to glare at Sasuke. "No molesting me while I'm doing homework."

"It's not due for two days." The Uchiha dipped his head down to lick the side of Naruto's neck. "Do it later."

"No, Ibiki'll kill me if it's late, so I wanna do it now. The guy's a nazi with homework, as can be seen by the fact that I have some, and would you _stop_ that!" He half-heartedly fought to get Sasuke to back away, but they both knew he didn't want him to.

"Mm, well then maybe you shouldn't have chosen to be in his class again."

"I like being in his classes. I _know_ him."

Sasuke's hands made their way up under Naruto's shirt as he bit and sucked on the blond's neck, intent on giving him a hickey, and succeeding, for the most part. Just as Naruto was ready to give in and let Sasuke do as he pleased, they were interrupted by his phone ringing.

Immediately, the raven tensed and Naruto could tell he was mad. Even if he didn't say anything, he was mad. The blond was almost tempted to just tell him to let the thing ring, but he knew he couldn't. Yamato had already told him that whenever his phone rang, he was to answer it, or _else_.

"I'll get it," was the raven's disgruntled comment as he turned to snatch the blond's cell phone off the dresser. Naruto shifted to look at him, and frowned as he noticed the stunned look on Sasuke's face.

"What?"

"It's Keita." He looked at the blond, Naruto frowning even more as he stood up.

"What?" He walked over to his boyfriend, taking the phone and seeing for himself that it was, in fact, his cop friend from back home, Keita. "What's he doing calling at this hour?" He flipped open the phone and put it to his ear. "Hey, Keita, what's up?"

Sasuke watched the blond's facial expressions intently, wanting to know if this was good news, or bad news, though he suspected that if Keita was calling, it was probably bad news. And he was proven right when Naruto's face fell and he looked at a loss for words.

"Oh... okay. Right. Yeah, I'll be—I'll come home right now. I'll bring Sasuke. Bye." He slowly pulled the phone from his ear and snapped it shut, the Uchiha in front of him almost grabbing his shoulders and shaking him for information. He managed to keep his cool, and instead simply asked,

"What's wrong?"

"It's my house," Naruto whispered, looking at the floor. "Someone broke into my house."


	5. Plans

**AN: Sorry I'm still, like, three and a half chapters behind on reviews. I'll try and reply to them speedily within the next little while, though internet here is kinda "wonder". As in, you wonder if it's going to work or not. So, sorry, but I'll get to them asap, promise :) Enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: After many discussions with K. Masashi concerning Kiba's ownership, he agreed to sign a contract stating that whoever won at Rock-Paper-Scissors would claim Kiba as their own. Of course, he forgot to mention his bodyguards would be restraining me and forcing me to do Rock every time, so he kept winning -.- Cheater!  
**

* * *

The drive out to Mission was done in a tense silence, mostly just because Naruto was so upset that Sasuke was scared to speak to him. He was glad he was the one driving, because he didn't think that the blond being behind the wheel would be such a good idea right now. He kept casting sideways glances to see his boyfriend's face, but it was just hard and expressionless as he stared out the window. It made him wonder what Naruto was thinking.

It didn't seem like this year was going to be any better than the last two, but at least this time there were no psychotic brothers and murderers after them. _Sure, nothing to worry about. Just someone trying to run me over, someone planting Heroin in Naruto's room, someone breaking into Naruto's house. No, nothing to worry about at __**all**__. _He sighed loudly, shaking his head. How had this become his life?

As he reflected back to First year, a part of him wondered idly if things would have gone differently if he hadn't ever met Naruto. First year would have certainly been easier for him, that was for sure. He wouldn't have gotten shot at, but then again, Sasuke would have died. Would he have been okay with that? Trading his life for Naruto's?

It took him less than a second to decide that, yes, he was more than okay with that. If his death and Itachi's satisfaction would have saved Naruto even the smallest amount of pain, he would have gladly given his life to do that. Then again, he wouldn't have been able to do anything about Second year, and it would have probably been even worse without him. If not for him being there to help Naruto with his heroin problem, he never would've found out about the Akatsuki. And then Naruto would have continued to be an accessory to murder for who knew how long. Maybe the rest of his life.

It worried Sasuke to think that this was always going to be something on the blond's mind. Always something there for him to remember when he was alone or upset. That was why Sasuke never liked to leave him alone, because he knew exactly where his mind wandered to.

After what felt like an excruciatingly long drive—but was probably no longer than usual, the silence making it seem endless—they turned up onto Naruto's long drive and drove down the cobbled road to the roundabout at the end, stopping in front of the door. Keita's cruiser was parked nearby with another, both of their lights flashing, and the police officer himself stood at the door. He walked down the steps to meet Naruto as the blond exited the car, the boy tense as his family friend put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," he whispered.

"What happened?"

Sasuke slammed the door and shoved his hands in his pockets as he came around the car, standing beside his boyfriend. Keita just sighed.

"We're not sure. Your alarm went off a few hours ago, and we drove down to investigate. The door was wide open, but when we cleared the house, it didn't look like anything was missing. At all."

Sasuke frowned. "So, you're saying someone broke in, but didn't take anything? Like—as if they were just trying to see if they _could_?"

"It's what it looks like, but I'm sure Naruto would notice more if anything was missing." He looked back at the blond. "You should take a look around, see if anything looks out of place."

"Right," the blond whispered.

"Is it possible someone was—was _bugging_ his house?" Sasuke asked, wincing slightly at the question. He felt Naruto tense beside him.

"I thought that, too, for a minute, but I had a buddy of mine sweep the house. He did a quick sweep, but he hit all the major bugging spots. He said there was nothing at all to be found. Whoever did this was just... doing it for the hell of doing it."

"I'm gonna have a look around," Naruto whispered, pushing past the officer and into the house. Sasuke pressed his lips together, but stayed outside to continue discussing the situation with Keita.

It didn't seem to make any sense to him. If someone had had the ability to break into Naruto's house, why wouldn't they do anything? Steal, bug the place, tear it apart, _something_. It was like the only purpose of this break-in was to shatter Naruto's already fragile state of mind. As if everything that had happened in sequence so far was done to offset the blond and drive him towards insanity. If Sasuke had told him about his near-accident, things would have been even worse, at this point.

As they both stood there, their discussion finished, waiting for Naruto to reemerge, something suddenly occurred to the raven-haired Uchiha and he turned to look at Keita.

"Hey, can you look something up for me?"

"What do you mean?" Keita's head tilted slightly, his expression puzzled.

"There's this guy... well, it's hard to explain but I just want you to please look up a guy called Pein Akasaka. You can do that, right? On your little computer thing in your cruiser?"

"Sure I can, but if he's never gotten arrested or a speeding ticket or anything, I'm not gonna find much for you."

"That's fine, just looking would be enough. Thanks."

Keita nodded and turned to head back to his cruiser, Sasuke glancing into the house to see the other officers loitering in the living room. He took a few steps into the house, looking around slowly to see if he spotted anything amiss. The walls in the front hall looked the same, at least. Not that he expected the walls to look _different_.

But maybe he had. Maybe a part of him had been expecting the words 'monster' or 'murderer' or something written along them, spray-painted in deep red or pitch black. He didn't know why the thought popped into his head, but he quickly shook it to dispel the image. It was something he was glad hadn't occurred.

Keita returned before Naruto reappeared, informing Sasuke that he'd come up with nothing. The raven was disappointed, but he thanked the officer anyway before moving further into the house to find Naruto. The blond had been absent for much longer than he liked, and after the heroin incident recently, he felt anxious having the other away from him for so long.

"Naruto?" he called as he reached the landing, looking down the corridor. "Naruto, where are you?"

Silence met his question and he moved further along the top floor to find his boyfriend, the blond stopped in front of a door. He stood there motionless, staring at the ground, his hands clenched at his sides. As Sasuke approached, he turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder, the raven stopping behind him.

"Everything okay?"

"So far. One room left to check," was the whispered reply. Sasuke didn't miss the pain in his lover's voice, and looking at the door, it suddenly occurred to him whose room this was.

His parent's room.

Pressing his lips together, Sasuke took Naruto's hand and squeezed it tightly, his other reaching out to turn the knob and push open the door. The room was dark, so he flipped the switch by the door, both wincing until their eyes adjusted to the bright light.

Naruto looked into the room for barely a second before slamming his hand on the switch to turn it off, then closing the door urgently, his hand tightening to an almost painful degree around Sasuke's, but the Uchiha said nothing.

"Everything's the same," he whispered, his voice strained.

"That's good. It means nothing is missing." Sasuke tugged to lead the blond away from the door, heading back towards the stairs.

Naruto pulled his hand from Sasuke's, mumbled that he would be in his room, and then disappeared down the corridor. Understanding what the blond meant by that, Sasuke headed back downstairs to tell Keita and the other officers that everything was in order, and nothing had been taken. He bid them all good night, seeing them out and then locking the door behind them. He set the alarm on his way back to the stairs, climbing them slowly once he reached them, and heading down the corridor to stop in front of Naruto's door. He took a deep breath, then opened it, closing it behind himself.

Naruto was lying on his stomach on his bed, his face buried in his pillow. The silence made it easy to determine he wasn't crying, but his entire body trembled as if he might start any minute. It was only when Sasuke got closer that he realized the blond was trembling with rage.

Sighing, he turned off the light and crawled onto the bed beside Naruto, resting his chin on the other's shoulder and wrapping a comforting arm around his waist. He kissed the blond's temple, then his shoulder and his arm. He knew Naruto would need this tonight. Even if he wasn't in the best frame of mind, sometimes, love was the only thing Naruto needed to feel better.

And Sasuke was always ready to show him that.

* * *

The next morning was rushed for the two university students. Sasuke was the first one to wake, finding it was unusually bright, which all became clear when he checked the time, and found it was nearing noon. They'd forgotten to set an alarm to head home—understandably so, since they'd been a little preoccupied the night before—and had missed a few classes. Sasuke only one, but Naruto had missed three, and the two of them will have missed more by the time they got back.

Exploding out of the blankets in his haste, Sasuke got Naruto awake and the two of them had rushed to get back to school. Neither made it in time for their last class, but Naruto hadn't missed his appointment with Yamato, at least, which had been a good thing. They didn't think the psychologist would have believed them about a random midnight trip to Mission because the blond's house had been broken into.

After the visit, Naruto and Sasuke had followed Yamato back to the teacher's quarters, since he'd said he wanted to investigate something pertaining to Sasuke and Kakashi. The raven suspected he wanted to see what kind of guardian Kakashi was like, even though Sasuke was legal now, and it technically didn't matter anymore.

"Kakashi," Sasuke called as he opened the door without bothering to knock or ring the doorbell. "It's me. And I brought company."

"Company?" Kakashi's head popped out around the corner from the kitchen, the professor smiling. "I like company."

"Not _that_ kind of company." Yamato sighed, shaking his head. He followed Sasuke and Naruto further into the small lodging, finding that Kakashi was actually on the phone, though he didn't seem to be paying much attention to the person on the other end.

"It's Iruka. He's talking about that Karate/Judo/Tai Kwon Do thing he does because his new classes are starting soon." The professor sighed, shaking his head. "I don't even understand most of what he's saying. Here, you talk to him." He thrust the phone at Naruto, the blond so startled he almost dropped it but managed to balance it between both hands before putting it to his ear.

"Hey, Iruka! It's Naruto, how are you?"

The blond beamed as he spoke on the phone, listening with genuine enthusiasm as Iruka explained his new curriculum to him. Kakashi was just relieved to not have to hear any more talk of how to disarm someone when they tried to grab you. It made his lower half quiver with fear that he'd never get laid again.

"So, Sasuke, Yamato, what brings you guys here?" he asked pleasantly as he subtly hid a pair of binoculars. Sasuke raised an eyebrow but Yamato just pretended not to notice.

"I just thought I'd drop by for a bit. I didn't realize the extent of your relationship with Naruto until I found out you were Sasuke's guardian."

"I thought you knew that already." The professor was confused.

"I knew of both you and Sasuke being a part of his life, but I wasn't aware of the fact that you were Sasuke's guardian until our last session." He patted Sasuke's shoulder amicably, as if the raven himself had been the one to see the psychologist. His eyebrow rose further. "How would you describe your relationship with Naruto?"

"Uh..." Kakashi thought about it for a second. "I guess I like to think of myself as a parental figure in his life. When he first got to school, he was still living with his grandmother but she, uh, she passed away soon after he arrived." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, glancing at Naruto to ensure he hadn't heard. The blond was still talking animatedly with Iruka, not having even realized the conversation between his boyfriend and the two professors had turned towards him.

"Do you recall when you became protective of him?"

"Well, honestly, I was always a little concerned for the kid." Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned sideways against the wall. "I mean, considering who he is, when I learned he was in my English class, I wanted to make sure no one would treat him any different. Kid's had a hard enough life as it was. I guess I became more involved when Sasuke started going out with him, and especially so when Itachi came back."

"Mm, yes, Naruto mentioned that period of his life briefly. He doesn't like going into details about the Itachi incident, or what happened last year."

"And with good reason."

Kakashi's simple sentence had a slight edge to it, almost like it was more of a warning than a statement. As if he was ensuring Yamato wasn't pushing Naruto to talk about something he didn't want to discuss, even if the psychologist felt it would help him. Even if talking helped, sometimes, there were things better left unsaid.

"Kakashi," Naruto had turned towards the conversation, all three looking at him as he called the grey-haired man's name, "Iruka wants to talk to you again."

"Well, guess my break's over." His expression turned friendly once more as he smiled. "Sorry we can't chat more, but duty calls. It's hard being a boyfriend." He winked at Sasuke and then went to retrieve the phone from Naruto, the blond walking back towards the other two.

"How was the visit?"

"Enlightening." Yamato smiled. "I'll be staying for a bit to talk to him more. I suppose I'll entertain myself with the television until he's off the phone."

The door slammed open loudly, someone launching themselves at Naruto and grabbing him in a bear-hug, wrenching him off his feet.

"Naruto! Why didn't you come visit me, too?! Why does Kakashi get all the luck with the cute ones? You missed me today, didn't you, so you just _had_ to make sure you came around here, right? Right?!"

"On second thought, I'll wait for him to get off the phone from my house." Yamato manoeuvred around Genma and Naruto, the professor nuzzling against Naruto's neck as the blond let out cries of protest and waved his hands wildly in an attempt to escape the other's grasp.

* * *

Kiba glared down at the black and white board sitting peacefully on the table, scrutinizing the pieces as if they had some kind of secret they were trying to keep from him. His fingers hovered over one piece, and then another, debating which one to move.

Hinata sat patiently across the table from him, her hands folded in her lap as she waited for him to take his turn, not seeming to mind the long wait in the slightest. It gave her more time to stare at him and giggle about how cute he looked, his face all twisted in concentration like that. Kankurou, on the other hand, was getting bored. He was sitting backwards on one of the chairs, resting his hands and chin on the chair-back as he waited for Kiba to finally just take his turn so that Hinata could kick his ass and he could play again.

This was their third game of the night, and so far, Hinata had won all three. Neither believed her when she said this was her first time playing chess.

Temari came bouncing down the stairs a few minutes later, Kiba still not having taken his turn, and glanced at the game when she passed. "If you move your knight, you can trap and take her queen if she moves to protect her king."

"Shut up!" Kiba snapped. "I'm playing!"

He moved the knight as she said, nevertheless, and ended up taking Hinata's queen on the next round.

"Told you."

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba grumbled as the blonde came to stand behind him to watch the game, though the other three knew she'd quickly get bored and leave.

Before she had the opportunity to disappear, their front door opened and slammed so hard the table shook and a few of the game pieces fell over, losing their places as they rolled across the chessboard.

"No! _No!_ I was totally winning!" He turned to see Sasuke stomping up the small flight of stairs towards the kitchen. "God damn you, Uchiha! I was winning!"

The glare he received from the raven shrivelled up his courage and kicked it across the world. He shrank back in his seat, almost terrified, and felt Temari edge towards the kitchen, trying to escape the Uchiha's wrath.

"Is everything all right, Sasuke?" Hinata inquired in her quiet voice, the two boys turning to her with wide eyes at her courage. Why would she _willingly_ put herself out there to get mauled to death?!

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Sasuke spat as he sat down in the last remaining chair and picked up the fallen pieces, slamming them down hard on the board. Temari inched towards escape again, trying to leave the room before the tension gave her a sunburn.

"Is Naruto's father there again?" Hinata asked once more, not seeming to notice Sasuke had the ability to kill her with his gaze, if he should so choose.

"Why won't he believe me?!" Sasuke exploded, slamming both fists on the table and offsetting the pieces once more. A few fell to the ground, this time. "The guy is freaking me out! He doesn't act like a dad at _all_, on top of that!"

"What do you mean?" Hinata was concerned, now.

"He just—he keeps asking questions a dad wouldn't ask! He asked about our _sex life_, for fuck's sake! No matter how concerned he is, he wouldn't ask for details about that! And he keeps asking about his friends, and who's most important to him, and like—bank account questions and..." He was starting to calm down, but only because he was exasperated now, instead of angry. "Something is wrong. And he-he stroked Naruto's face." Sasuke winced. "You don't... you don't touch your kid like that."

"Sasuke..." Kiba sighed, knowing this topic had been exhausted with the raven, but feeling he had to continue exhausting himself with it. "Pein is Naruto's father, whether we like it or not. He had the DNA test done, and Naruto told you himself he had someone following it the whole way. Someone was on that DNA test like Temari on cake." The blonde hit him for the comparison, but he ignored it, only wincing before he continued. "Unless Pein paid off the same guy Naruto did to make sure that it was switched out properly, we have no reason to think that it's not true."

There was silence for a long while after that, Sasuke staring at Kiba as if the other had slapped him. Then, the raven slowly stood. "Kiba—you're a genius."

"Hey, now, let's not go _that_ far, Uchiha. You'll make him think it's true," Temari insisted, frowning. None of them seemed to register what Kiba had said, and how unbelievably _true_ it could be.

"What _if_ that's what happened?" he demanded, starting to pace, his eyes unfocussed and far away as he thought. "What if he paid off the guy Naruto did, or worse yet, what if he _killed_ him and had someone else impersonate him?"

"Okay, this isn't some kind of suspense thriller here, Sasuke," Kankurou insisted. "This is _life_. That shit doesn't happen to normal people like us."

Everyone turned to look at him, and he blinked before he remembered that other weird things _did_ happen to them. Mostly Sasuke and Naruto, but close enough to home. He sighed, shaking his head and rubbing the back of it.

"Sasuke," The raven looked at Temari as she spoke, "I'm going to help you do something right now, but if I do, I need you to promise me something." Sasuke frowned, but nodded. "I'm going to help you get Pein's DNA so you can bring it to get it compared to Naruto's. You'll probably give it to Shizune, who is someone who can't be paid off, and who I know you trust. If, when this is done, it comes back that Pein _is_ Naruto's father, I want you to shut the fuck up."

Everyone was stunned by the venomous tone she used. She growled, rubbing her face with both hands before continuing.

"I didn't mean for it to be so harsh, but I'm just—I feel like you're just a jilted lover who's angry his boyfriend isn't spending time with him. And it's making me severely dislike you right now. So if we do this and Pein's his dad, you can _never_ complain about the guy again and I'm going to solder you to a chair in the same room as them and hold a gun to your head to force you to be civil until you don't need the threat anymore."

"And if he's _not_ Naruto's dad?" Hinata asked in a lower voice than usual, wringing her hands together nervously.

"Well..." Temari shrugged. "We'll get to that when the time comes, if that's the case."

"So how do we get Pein's DNA?" Sasuke inquired, crossing his arms.

"He drove here, right?" A smirk broke across Temari's face, the raven looking somewhat concerned, but nodding nonetheless. "Let me get a few things, and we'll get what DNA we can from his car."

"Do you mean—are you going to _break_ into his car?!" Hinata was horrified.

"Don't be silly, that's way too obvious." Temari's smirk grew wider. "I'm going to steal it."

* * *

Sasuke sat in Naruto's Viper outside the hospital, staring at the front doors and wondering if he was really going to do this behind Naruto's back like this. He loved the blond, and that was the only reason he was doing this. Jealousy aside, Pein didn't act like a father. He wanted to keep Naruto safe. He wanted to make sure this was real.

He looked down at the two ziploc bags he held in his hand. One contained Naruto's razor, and the other had a popsicle stick. They'd found a few of them on the floor in Pein's car. Apparently, being rich did nothing for your manners. Sasuke smiled as he realized he should've known that already, considering he knew Naruto.

The plan had gone off without a hitch, and though he'd personally felt stealing the car had been unnecessary, he soon realized why it was the best idea. If they'd broken into the car to take something, even something as insignificant as a popsicle stick, if Pein found out, he would know right away it was Sasuke, or—at the very least—Naruto's friends. And that was _not_ something that would help his situation.

By stealing his car, it made it look like a random act of theft. Since none of the residents' cars were parked in the same place as the visitors' cars, it was entirely plausible for his car to get stolen, as it was the nicest one in the lot. Kankurou had followed Temari downtown, where she'd ditched the car in a random parking lot after having broken a few of the windows and spray-painted the sides, and then driven her home. By the time they'd returned, Pein was still there, so everyone had been present when his car was discovered stolen. Though it was found relatively quickly, Pein was glad the damage wasn't too extensive and had just had it towed to get fixed. Never once had he said anything about thinking it was Naruto's friends. He'd assumed it was just a bunch of stupid kids out for a joy ride. Even Naruto just looked appalled, not the least bit suspicious.

It had worked out perfectly. They'd found something with his DNA, and had kept themselves safe. Though, of course, this made Kiba, Hinata and Sasuke wonder about the Sabaku children, and what _exactly_ it was they did during their free time. Gaara had even come over after everything had been done to say the job would have gone faster if he'd been involved. It was scary to think they might do this on a regular basis.

Taking a deep breath and trying to dispel thoughts of last night from his mind, Sasuke kicked open the door and headed into the hospital, ignoring everyone around him as he took the stairs. He didn't want to take the elevator—being that close to sick people freaked him out. He headed up the stairs two at a time, reaching the right floor quickly and pushing through the doors.

When he asked for Shizune, people kept sending him to different places for over ten minutes until he got fed up and found her office, planting himself in front of the door and refusing to move, even after someone threatened to call security. They were even on their way when Shizune appeared around the corner, starting at Sasuke's presence.

"Sasuke. Hi."

"You know this rude, arrogant _boy_, Shizune?" One of the nurses glared at Sasuke, the raven's expression remaining indifferent.

"Ah, yes. I do. Um, maybe we should take this into my office." Shizune opened the door, motioning Sasuke in as the nurse mumbled about cancelling her call for security. The doctor chuckled as she closed the door. "What did you _do_, Sasuke, threaten her?"

"What do you mean?" He asked as he took a seat across from the desk.

"You're an attractive young man," she commented as she, too, sat down. "I didn't think anyone in their right mind would try and send _you_ away."

"At least you know the nurses here are concerned for their employers and not just eager to oogle a pretty face." He half-smiled, Shizune laughing as she nodded.

"As much as I love visits from you when you're _not_ in need of medical attention, I doubt you came all the way here just to test the nurses' patience. What can I do for you?"

Pressing his lips together, he handed her the two ziploc bags, asking her if she'd heard about Naruto's father. She said she had, Tsunade having informed her after Naruto had told the president of UBC.

"They had a DNA test done to prove his paternity, but—I don't trust him. Just for piece of mind, I'd appreciate it if you could do one. _Personally_." He stressed the last word, pleading with his eyes for her to accept. She winced, looking at the bags.

"Sasuke, it's—it's illegal for me to do this without their consent. If one of them was related to you, it'd be okay, but one's your boyfriend and the other is an adult you barely even know."

"No one has to know," Sasuke insisted. "I won't tell anyone. If Naruto asks, I'll tell him I went elsewhere, and if he wants to confirm it for sure, he can come see you. Please, Shizune this is—it's important. _Please_."

She stared at him for a long while, then sighed, shaking her head. "You're lucky I've got a soft spot for you, Uchiha. Fine, I'll do it, but!" She held up one finger. "This never happened. If you even _try_ to convince anyone I did this for you, I'll make sure they all know you're lying, even if it means having you committed to a psychiatric ward. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Sasuke stood. "Thank you. Truly."

"I'll try and be quick with the results."

"Thanks." The raven smiled.

"Get out of my office, brat." She flipped open a file and started writing in it, the Uchiha chuckling. No one ever called him 'brat.' It was usually a term reserved for Naruto, and it was weird hearing it said to him.

Feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Sasuke disappeared down the stairs and out of the hospital, getting back into the blond's Viper and driving it back to campus long before Naruto even knew the raven had left.

He didn't notice a solitary figure sitting in a car across from the Viper, metallic grey eyes watching him drive away before pulling a phone out and hitting speed dial. The phone was pressed against his ear, and the line clicked, though no one said anything on the other end.

"Boss, it's me. You might have to consider speeding up your plan, the Uchiha was just at the hospital and I don't think he was bringing somebody lunch."

There was a pause on the other end, then the line clicked and the dial tone buzzed in his ear. Snapping his phone shut, he leaned forward to start the car and followed the Viper back towards campus.


	6. CNN

**AN: So, a few things to say... I spent some time on Review replies yesterday, though that's going to take a while, because the oldest one I had was from August 13th O_O I didn't realize that... On the same note, I apologize like WHOA to anyone who got an insanely weird, disjointed, or plain crazy reply from me. Sleep deprivation will do that to a person ^^; heh. **

**Also, trying to boost my friend's low self-esteem, check out TheUchihaRaven (Also known as ElfieRae, though she's called TheUchihaRaven on FF) if y'all want to read emotional stuff I could never hope to compare to.**

**Aside from that... Uh... yeah. Moo.**

**Disclaimer: Made a deal with the Devil for K. Masashi's soul. Once I control him, KIBA SHALL BE MINE!  
**

* * *

Birds chirped loudly outside Naruto's bedroom window as the blond slept, his alarm only minutes from going off. Not that he particularly minded, since it was Friday and he'd be able to sleep in the next day. He rolled over in his sleep, his hands unconsciously seeking out the warmth he knew was always there.

Frowning as his fingers groped nothing, his mind started to wake up when a weight settled on the bed beside him, Naruto sighing contently as he snuggled closer, resting his head on the other's thigh. A large, warm hand raked through his hair, slowly brushing through the strands in an almost protective way.

"Mm, Sasuke." He sighed, nuzzling closer. He felt a kiss on his forehead and smiled, slowly coming back to consciousness and wondering how long they had before class. Maybe they would have time to have some fun.

As he thought about this, he heard tinkering downstairs, as well as voices. One of them belonged to Sasuke, but his foggy brain didn't register this. All he registered was the warmth beside him, and the comforting hand raking through his hair soothingly.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Sasuke was pouring a cup of coffee for Yamato, who was sitting easily in one of the kitchen chairs, thanking the raven when the cup was placed in front of him. He took a careful sip of the searing hot liquid before placing it back on the table.

"How's he been sleeping?"

"Better." Sasuke nodded, sitting down across from the psychologist. "He used to wake up a lot during the night, crying. Now he sleeps all the way through. Sometimes he moans and talks in his sleep, but it's nothing compared to what it was like before." Sasuke smiled slightly.

"I'm glad to hear it." Yamato sounded truly sincere, and the Uchiha was suddenly really glad that Tsunade had forced Naruto to see him. "I'm hoping that if he tells me about last year in detail, I can help him stop hating himself as much as he does."

"Well, it's hard for him." Sasuke rubbed his left arm, feeling awkward. "Even I don't know the whole story. Sai's the only one who knows anything remotely close to the whole thing."

"He's the CSIS agent, yes?" Yamato asked, taking another lazy sip of his coffee.

"Yeah." Sasuke grit his teeth, trying to stop his jealousy from showing through.

"Naruto still keeps in touch with him?"

"Despite what I say, yes."

The psychologist couldn't help but smile. He remembered his hormonal days, too. The jealousy, the lust, everything that Sasuke was going through right now. It kind of made him feel nostalgic, not that he'd be telling the teen in front of him that.

"What's taking Genma so long?" Sasuke suddenly asked, seconds before a bloodcurdling scream erupted from upstairs.

Sasuke and Yamato were out of their seats within seconds, bolting up the stairs in time to see Genma running back down them, a look of panic on his face.

"What did you do?!" Sasuke yelled angrily as he shoved past him to get to Naruto's room. He threw open the door and almost fell over backwards as the blond launched himself at him, hugging him tightly. The raven could feel Naruto's heart thumping wildly against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around him.

"What's wrong? What happened? What did Genma do?"

Naruto didn't answer, he just breathed shakily against the raven's neck, Sasuke wincing as he hugged him closer, rubbing his back comfortingly. He could only assume that Genma had startled him. After all, Sasuke was usually the person Naruto woke up with. And here he thought having someone _with_ the blond when he woke up would be a good idea. He'd never make _that_ mistake again.

"It's okay, Naruto. Sorry, Genma was just staying with you while I spoke to Yamato."

"What happened?" he heard the psychologist ask behind him.

"I just did what Sasuke said! The second his eyes opened, he freaked out."

Sasuke winced at hearing this, but he wasn't angry with Genma. He knew that the professor cared about Naruto, it was all just a misunderstanding.

"I think you guys should go. We'll see you in class."

"Right." Genma sounded so broken that Sasuke wanted to say something to make him feel better, but he only had so much comforting in him and he was busy using that up on Naruto right now. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to Yamato, the psychologist smiling slightly before he and Genma let themselves out.

* * *

Kakashi nuzzled comfortably into the chest beneath him, breathing in deeply and then exhaling with a sigh. He opened his eyes to look up and smile at Iruka as the brunet slept, one arm over his eyes and the other wrapped around Kakashi's shoulders. The older man had to chuckle at their positioning because anyone walking in would assume Kakashi was the bottom. That _certainly_ wasn't the case, they just happened to be lying like that.

Groaning, Iruka shifted slightly in his sleep, attempting to roll over before Kakashi's weight stilled his progress and he just got comfortable on his back once more, sleeping on. The grey-haired man smiled, kissing Iruka's chest just above his heart, and then rolled over to take a shower.

It was short, lasting only about ten minutes, and by the time he exited, Iruka was sitting up, stretching with a groan. Smiling, Kakashi padded over to the side of the bed and leaned down, pressing his lips against the other's forehead.

"Morning."

"Mm, hey." Iruka smiled sleepily, raking one hand through his hair and wincing as his fingers got caught on tangles. "You have class?"

"Yeah. I need to get my stuff organized for it. I actually need to _teach_ today, 'cause Tsunade is coming to overlook the class." He made a face, Iruka laughing at the other's predicament.

"You know, if you just _taught_, she wouldn't feel inclined to sit in. You should be more responsible."

"Ah, but you love me just as I am," Kakashi insisted, leaning down to kiss the other's lips lightly, and then straightening to grab some clothes. "You coming over to watch the game tomorrow? Genma, Raidou and Aoba are gonna be here."

"I can't. I was asked to privately train someone tomorrow." Iruka noticed the way Kakashi's back tensed, and had to smile. "The kid is eight, Kakashi."

That reassurance really meant nothing to Kakashi. He knew they started young! One second they'd be training, next second, the kid would be all over _his_ Iruka, blackmailing him into doing everything he asked, and Iruka would do it. He glared at the floor.

"Stop that. You're letting your imagination run away with you again."

"It's not my fault it's so good at escaping my grasp," Kakashi mumbled, which earned a chuckle from Iruka.

"We never got the chance to talk last night," Iruka said as he stood to grab his pants. His statement earned him a saucy grin, Kakashi obviously back in better spirits, and the brunet rolled his eyes. "I was just wondering how Sasuke and Naruto were doing."

"They're fine." Kakashi became suspicious. "Why?"

"I was just wondering." Iruka frowned, his back to Kakashi. "Just something Naruto said on the phone the other day. I'm just wondering if they're still doing all right."

"Well, things have been a little stressed since Naruto's father showed up." Kakashi frowned. "I know it's because Sasuke's jealous, though. But," he sighed, "having said that, I don't like the guy. Naruto's father, I mean. He seems... odd."

"Speaking of odd," Iruka turned to look at Kakashi, "what's the deal with that Yamato character? I felt like he was interrogating me or something. Does he work for CSIS?"

Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head as he led the way out of the room, Iruka following. "No, he's just a psychologist. He's supposed to be helping Naruto with—well, you know." He turned to look over his shoulder, forcing a smile.

"Ah, well, that's good." Iruka headed into the kitchen, opening the fridge to make Kakashi breakfast. "How's this year been for him? Apart from his father showing up, I mean. Everything been all right?"

"Of course." Kakashi grinned. "They can't get into trouble _every_ year. Even _they_ aren't that unlucky. Besides," he sat down heavily and stretched, "if something were wrong, I'm sure they would tell us. It's not like Sasuke would hide anything from us."

* * *

Sasuke pursed his lips as he glared at the television, his finger hovering over the button that would change the channel. He was watching the news, but it was highly depressing, and he was debating changing it to something slightly happier. After all he constantly had to deal with, hearing about how wars are still raging full-force and economies are falling, he wasn't really enjoying his moment of peace. Not to mention classes today had seemed almost endless.

Naruto came ambling down the stairs, the raven keeping his eyes focussed on the television. Sighing, the blond fell down beside his boyfriend and rested his head on his shoulder, watching along with him. Looking over at Sasuke, he reached out with one finger and rubbed at his forehead to rid it of the crease he had there.

"What's got you so concentrated?"

"Hm?" Sasuke looked over at him, then back at the television. "Nothing, really. Just finding it depressing how much shit happens in our world. Can't we all just get along?" He sighed and dropped the remote, looking over at Naruto. "Homework's done?"

"Yup." Naruto smiled widely, then stretched. "What's for dinner?"

"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it." Sasuke pulled away from Naruto with a groan and stood, cracking his neck as he headed for the kitchen, glancing in the sink as he passed it. He paused, continuing to stare. He could have sworn he'd told Naruto to clean the dishes last night, so why were they still in the sink? Sighing, his shoulders slumped, and he spoke without turning around.

"Naruto?"

"Yes?" the blond inquired, turning away from the news as he heard his name.

"Are you busy?" Naruto's eyes followed Sasuke's gaze, seeing the dirty dishes still in the sink. He looked around frantically, finally grabbing a book off the coffee table in front of him and opening it to a random page as Sasuke turned around.

"Extremely." He tried to look annoyed as he held up his Genetics textbook. He was concerned when he saw the amused smirk make its way across Sasuke's face.

"You're holding it upside down."

Looking down and finding that, yes, he was, in fact, holding the book upside down, he slowly turned it right side up, looking sheepish, and then glanced at Sasuke once more. "Extremely?"

"Nice try. Dishes. Now."

Pouting, the blond stood up and headed into the kitchen to comply with the order, slowly washing the plates in the sink as Sasuke tinkered around to get food ready. They both worked in comfortable silence, the sounds of Sasuke's cutting and Naruto's clinking dishes drowning out the depressing news on the television. Glancing at the clock, the blond noticed they were eating dinner later than usual today, not that it really mattered. Food was food, after all.

"You have an appointment with Yamato tomorrow?"

"Huh?" Naruto snapped out of his thoughts, turning to look at Sasuke, then returning to the dishes. "Yeah. In the afternoon. Can't even get a weekend without the guy telling me to come see him."

"He seems to be helping, though," Sasuke whispered. "You don't wake up crying anymore."

It was said so low Naruto wasn't sure whether or not he was meant to hear it, so he just ignored it. He didn't know what to say to that, anyway. Sasuke had the patience of a saint, in his opinion. He was grateful, even if he hadn't been showing it lately.

Turning to tell Sasuke just that, he heard a shout and suddenly found Sasuke on the floor, wincing. Naruto realized he'd slipped on something, and his face broke out into a grin once he realized Sasuke was all right.

"Are you okay?" he asked between laughs, reaching down to help him stand.

"Sure. Might need a new backbone, but other than that, I'm good," Sasuke muttered, wincing as he took the offered hand and stood. Naruto was still laughing, gripping the counter to stop from falling over. Sasuke scowled at him as he rubbed his lower back.

"I'm glad _you_ think it's funny," he muttered.

"It _is_ funny!"

"No, it's not." Sasuke glared to emphasize his point. Naruto grinned.

"Kiba would've laughed."

"Kiba's an idiot. He laughs at everything."

Naruto rolled his eyes at how childish Sasuke was. He suspected it was because his pride hurt more than his back. Walking up behind Sasuke as the raven stirred whatever it was he was making, he kissed his boyfriend's cheek, then rested his chin on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"Hn."

"Aw, don't be such a grouch," Naruto whined as their front door opened, neither turning to see who it was. The footsteps were enough of a hint.

"Hey, hey, hey! How's it, my brothers?" Kiba bounced up the stairs with Shikamaru and Hinata following behind. He skidded to a halt as he saw the position the other two boys were in. "Aw, man! Protect my virgin eyes a little, would ya!"

"Calm down, Inuzuka. You always make such a big deal out of everything." Shikamaru fell down lazily on the couch, his eyes shifting to watch the news that had been forgotten.

"Hey, Shika. Haven't seen you in a while," Naruto commented, his arms still wrapped around Sasuke's waist and his cheek resting on the raven's shoulder.

"Been busy. Everyone's gone right now, so I got bored and went to find Kiba. He and Hinata were bored, so we came to find you for entertainment. So far, it's working." A hint of a smile appeared on the other's face, Kiba glaring at him as Hinata walked into the kitchen to help Sasuke with dinner.

"You know—you and the others, it always sketched me out." Kiba pointed his finger at Shikamaru, still standing near the entrance, as if scared to venture further. "Why don't you ever freak out when you see Naruto and Sasuke doing shit?"

"Because we're used to it by now," Shikamaru replied easily with a shrug, watching the television with a bored expression.

"But you weren't at first."

"I was too lazy to react," was the immediate answer.

"I think secretly—you're gay." Kiba jabbed his finger towards Shikamaru with a suspicious look. The spiky-haired teen sighed as he looked back at Kiba.

"Yes, Kiba, we're gay. I am a flaming homosexual. I also happen to have the madest ever man-crush on you. I jerk off to pictures of you."

The brunet lurched backwards a step, almost flinging himself over the railing that would lead to the front door, all eyes on him, now, as if to watch his reaction to Shikamaru's words. "Wh-what?!" His voice was two octaves higher than usual. Shikamaru smirked.

"You're too easy, Inuzuka." He turned back to the television as the two boys in the kitchen and his girlfriend laughed. A deep flush rose up the back of his neck.

"That's not funny!"

* * *

Sasuke kicked a pebble and watched it bounce away as he walked beside Naruto down the roads that would lead to the professor's houses. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, his hood up as the cold wind bit against his exposed skin. Naruto was leaning against his side, as if to try and suck the body heat out of Sasuke to keep himself warm.

"You sure you wanna do this at Yamato's house and not his office?" Sasuke inquired, turning to look at his boyfriend and seeing his teeth chattering together. They should've put on more layers.

"I'd rather you have something to do while I'm having a sob-fest with my psychologist," Naruto muttered, his eyes staring straight ahead. Sasuke turned away from him, the two of them continuing on in silence until they reached the turn-off. They headed towards Kakashi's house first, since Yamato had apparently been invited over for a bit. Probably so the others could make the guy suffer. Sasuke pitied how close he lived to Genma.

Without bothering to knock, he pushed open the door and walked into the loud, animated house. It looked like there was some kind of football game on, and the usually quiet Raidou had joined Aoba and Kakashi in yelling at the television. Yamato was just standing behind the couch, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Sasuke could only assume that things were going badly for their team.

"That's a bogus call, ref!" Aoba yelled angrily, his arms flying into the air as Kakashi threw popcorn at the screen.

"I—didn't even know they watched football," Naruto whispered to Sasuke, the raven shrugging.

"Guilty pleasure? I don't know."

"Naruto." Yamato suddenly acknowledged their presence, a smile breaking across his features. "We didn't hear you come in."

"I'm not surprised."

"Naruto!"

Letting out a shout, the blond was practically bowled over as Genma slammed into him, nuzzling against his face. Instead of getting jealous, as Sasuke would have in the past, he just smirked and went to sit beside Kakashi on the couch.

"Oh, it's been, so, so long since I saw you, Naruto! I miss you whenever you're not around! Every time I see you, it's like I might get another chance to have you! Man, I remember the first time I snuck into your room and pretended to be Sasuke while you were half-asleep, just so I could bone you. I was so close, too. Ah, what a beautiful memory. I remember it like it was yesterday."

"It _was_ yesterday," Naruto snapped as he struggled to escape from Genma's vice-like grip.

"All the more reason, then," the perverted professor said happily as Yamato approached them.

"Naruto and I need to go have our session, Genma. Let the kid go before he can't breathe."

"But I don't wanna." The long-haired man pouted, then his eyes bugged out of his head as Yamato gave him _the look_. His hands instantly dropped back to his sides and he vaulted over the back of the couch, landing between Kakashi and Sasuke and trying to make himself small. Nobody noticed except Sasuke, since the other three men were still yelling at the television.

"See you in a bit, Sasuke," Naruto called, he and Yamato exiting the house.

"Is Naruto still mad about yesterday?" Genma asked Sasuke, turning to him. The raven couldn't help but feel bad at the fear in the usually psychotic professor's eyes.

"He was never mad, Genma. I think you just scare him when you're normal. He's used to you being crazy, and you just kind of—comforting him as he slept probably freaked him out a little bit."

"At least I didn't try to rape him like I said." He huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at the screen. Sasuke smirked, focussing on the game, too.

"Sure, sure."

He got a handful of popcorn in the face.

* * *

Naruto walked cautiously into Yamato's house as he looked around, finding the place to be insanely tidy when compared to everyone else he knew. Yamato had walked right into the kitchen, leaving Naruto to stand awkwardly by the entrance, unsure of what to do. He knew today that Yamato wanted to talk about last year, and had wanted Sasuke and Kakashi closeby in case he needed them, but that didn't make him feel any better.

He didn't want anyone to know about the horrors he'd gone through last year. Talking about them wouldn't help, they'd just force them to resurface from the dark pit in the back of his mind, where Naruto had kept them all hidden. But Yamato kept pushing, and eventually, Naruto was going to break.

"Sit down, make yourself comfortable."

The blond complied, moving into the living room and sitting down stiffly in the armchair. His back was ramrod straight and his hands clenched against the material of his pants at the knees. His jaw ached from gritting his teeth so hard, but he didn't relax. He didn't want to talk about this, dammit!

Yamato took a seat on the couch across from him, putting a glass of water on the table and a plate of cookies. It was so odd that Naruto relaxed barely a centimetre, his eyes on the cookies.

"I thought you might be hungry."

"I'll just throw it up once I start."

"You never know." Yamato got comfortable, folding his hands together. "Why don't we start at the beginning, then. I understand last year was hard for you for more than one reason. Sasuke was a part of it, wasn't he?"

"Yes." Naruto swallowed hard. "He had amnesia. It was—bad."

"It was hard for you." A statement, not a question. "He's important to you."

"He is. Not a secret." The blond forced a smile, Yamato nodding, but remaining silent. It was a prompt for him to continue. "He—it's complicated. What happened with-with Sai and Sasuke."

"They looked alike. It confused you." Again, not a question.

"Yes. It was hard having him around, but I'm grateful. Sai was—he saved me from a lot of things. I still don't know exactly everything about how he felt back then. Whether his attraction to me was a way to get closer, or genuine. Either way, he's a good friend now. He's always around if I need him."

"What was Sasuke's role in the rest of your year? In the other parts of last year?"

Naruto winced, clenching his fists as he stared at the ground. The closet he'd locked last year in suddenly sprang open to reveal everything he'd been trying so hard to forget over the last few months. He remembered every emotion, every horror that he'd been forced to endure. He remembered the first time they'd forced him to take heroin, and his veins burned with need at the mere thought. The memory of what it was like not to think. Not to feel. Not to know what was going on around him.

His hands shook as every single face paralyzed with fear flashed through his mind. Every person who was killed, right in front of him, while he stood by and was told what to do. While pictures of Sasuke, and Kiba, and Kakashi were flaunted in his face. His greatest liability.

Friends.

People who mattered.

People he loved, and who loved him.

Things that had once been a wish growing up, a desperate fantasy. He'd never had friends as a child, never had anyone he cared about or who cared about him. And as soon as he had them, they were being used again him. Making him wish he'd never made them.

Making him wish they would all go away.

He hated himself for that. For wishing everyone he loved would just disappear from existence; had never even been born. That they were just fictions of his imagination so that he wouldn't have to do what they forced him to do.

Those were the worst days of his life for him, the ones where he regretted having made friends. And then the drugs... they'd made it all go away. It was so easy to forget everything. To not care. To kill people, and watch them suffer. To suffer himself, with Orochimaru, because he didn't even feel it. It didn't matter. The sex was nothing, it was a release, it was something he looked forward to.

And that disgusted him.

He'd never let himself think back on last year. Never sat down to actually reflect on how things had been for him back then. He'd forced it all to the back of his mind and taken Sasuke's distraction willingly, holding it like a lifeline.

Sasuke, who would never let him think, never let him remember. Always there to push the darkness back. Always there to pretend it had never happened, which helped Naruto pretend, too. Everything that had been forced into that closet, locked away, never to be heard from or thought about ever again.

Until Yamato appeared and wrenched the doors open.

Now, it was like the doors would never shut. He'd opened Pandora's box, and the evilness inside was going to be with him forever.

"Naruto, I understand this is ha—"

"No, you don't!" the blond exploded, jumping to his feet and overturning the coffee table. Yamato didn't react, he just let the blond continue. "You _don't_ understand! _Nobody_ understands! People need to stop fucking _saying_ that! Nobody was there, nobody _saw_ what I saw! What I-I _did_! The people who died, who I couldn't _save_ the—Nobody fucking knows! Don't fucking tell me you under-fucking-stand!"

"Naruto—"

The door was thrown open and next thing he knew, Yamato was being wrenched off the couch by the collar, two large hands gripping the front of his shirt angrily as mismatched eyes glared into his own. A vicious scowl dominated the man's features as his hands shook with want to punch the shit out of the psychologist in front of him.

"Sasuke." Kakashi's voice was low; dark. Yamato was actually slightly concerned for his face. "Take Naruto home. Now."

There was shuffling as the raven followed the order, grabbing the blond's wrist and pulling him out the door, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders as he walked quickly towards the road. Yamato watched them go for a second before his vision was blocked my Genma, Raidou and Aoba in the doorway, all of them glaring, but none with the same venom as Kakashi. He focussed back on the grey-haired professor, whose hands still shook as they held the front of his shirt.

"I told you _not_ to push." His voice had gotten even lower. In Yamato's experience, that was a bad thing.

"I'm just trying to help him."

"Well you're not!" Kakashi snapped, shoving Yamato hard and causing the other to fall back onto his couch. "All that time, all those _months_ Sasuke spent trying to _fix_ him, to make him _forget_ what he'd done. Just one little _poke_ from you and it all came _crashing_ back!"

"And you think that's healthy?" Yamato demanded, getting to his feet and glaring right back at Kakashi. "You think having it all locked away inside as if it never happened is the best thing for him? Instead of him talking about it and letting his demons out, you think he should keep them inside himself to fester and boil for weeks, months, _years_, until finally, they explode out and destroy his fragile state of mind?"

The grey-haired professor's teeth ground audibly as his fists shook as his side. Raidou came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder and pulling him back a step, something with Kakashi did not appreciate, but he didn't fight it, either.

"Kakashi, he's right," Raidou whispered. "He's just trying to help."

The English professor was shaking his head as Raidou spoke, not believing it. The look on Naruto's face... there was no way this had been helping him at _all_ in any way, shape, or form. He pointed an angry finger at Yamato.

"You stay away from him, you hear me? You fucking _stay_ away from him."

With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the psychologist's house, the tension he left behind causing everyone in the room to hold their breaths, lest the air around them catch fire.

* * *

It was only four hours later, after more talking and a lot of broken furniture, that Kakashi ended up calming down, though he still didn't agree with Yamato. He had said he would allow him to continue having sessions with Naruto—not that he had the ability to stop him, anyway, but he would have found a way—but the psychologist was not to bring up anything pertaining to the Akatsuki ever again. Naruto had a hard enough time with things as they were.

The grey-haired professor sat down heavily at his small dining table, placing his dinner plate down and rubbing his face with both hands. He'd called Iruka earlier to talk about what had happened, but the younger man was giving private lessons, so he hadn't gotten through. When Iruka had called back, Kakashi hadn't wanted to talk about it, but the brunet promised he would try and stop by later. Kakashi still didn't think he'd want to talk about it.

With a sigh, the English professor forced the thoughts from his mind as he reached for the remote, turning on the television and beginning to eat, barely listening to the news. That sort of thing didn't interest him, but he was too lazy to change the channel. All he wanted for the moment was background noise.

The professor picked up his drink as he glanced at the screen, just as the topic changed.

"_Also, reports have just come in about what our resident Uzumaki murderer has been up to—"_

Kakashi spat his drink out, jumping out of his chair, knocking it over. He ran towards his television, grabbing it on either side as a large picture of Naruto appeared on the screen, the woman talking of his role in the Akatsuki.

"No," Kakashi whispered. "Dear God, _no_!"

His phone rang, and the only reason he bolted to answer it was because of the possibility that it might be Sasuke.

"Sasuke?!"

"Kakashi, did you see?!" Iruka's voice screamed down the line.

"How did this happen?!" Kakashi demanded back.

The professor's door flew open, Genma bolting into his house with Raidou close behind.

"Kakashi!"

"I know, I saw!" Kakashi didn't know what to do. By now, everyone had probably seen the news. All of them were too panicked to even pay attention to it completely, so they didn't even know how much had been revealed.

"I thought CSIS would keep this secret!" Genma hollered before punching Kakashi's wall. "Dammit!"

"We have to calm down!" Raidou insisted. "Kakashi, if that's not Sasuke or Naruto, hang up."

"Iruka," Kakashi informed as he put him on speaker instead.

"Okay. Okay." Raidou took a few deep breaths as he turned off the television. "We all need to just calm down."

"We are calm!" Genma exclaimed hysterically. "Nobody's panicking!"

"Calm down!" Raidou repeated, anger in his tone to force the other to stop.

Kakashi's door opened again, Yamato walking in with a worried expression, a scarily subdued Gai behind him. Even the green-clad man knew when to be serious.

"I'm going to find everyone in my flat, at this rate," Kakashi whispered as he sank onto his couch. To him, it was bad. He didn't care so much that they were all coming to his place, he cared about the fact that it proved so many people had seen the news.

God, he had _no_ idea what to do. How could this possibly be fixed? _Things can't possibly get any worse, _he thought sadly.

_Don't say that, Hatake, because they always can,_ a voice whispered back in his head.

"All right," Yamato took his role as psychologist, "we need to think about this. I wasn't here last year, so I don't know the details of what happened, but I'm fairly sure this was all hush-hush since I know that CSIS was involved. They caught the Akatsuki, so they obviously know about Naruto. Our first question is: how was this exposed?"

"That's just it!" Iruka's voice exclaimed over the phone, everyone jumping because they'd forgotten—or not known—he was there. "We only have two sources! The Akatsuki, who are in a high security prison, and CSIS. The former has no way to contact the press, and the latter wouldn't _want_ to! It would defy the purpose of hiding it all to begin with!"

"Okay, well, who _else_ knows?"

"Well—us," Raidou replied, Genma shaking with rage beside him. It looked like he was ready to trash Kakashi's apartment, he was so mad.

"And his friends," Kakashi added.

"Anyone who would talk?" Yamato inquired.

"They've all known him since First year, and they all trust him," Gai replied, speaking for the first time since his arrival. "They know the only reason he did what he did was to protect them. They _know_ that."

"You're sure no one would betray him?" Yamato asked Gai, the man shaking his head, quite sure of himself.

"No one would have any reason to," Raidou insisted. "They love him. They think he's great."

"Then who would've done this to ruin Naruto's life?" Yamato mused.

* * *

"Bastard."

"Mm hm."

"Asshole."

"Mm."

"Cock-sucking prick."

"Offer?" Sasuke grinned.

Naruto glared before sighing, letting his head fall back onto his pillow. Sasuke had pinned him down when the blond had climbed onto his bed to open his window, and wouldn't let him go. Naruto was mad he hadn't been paying attention to Sasuke's whereabouts because, seriously, he should've expected this from the other boy. The second Sasuke saw Naruto on a bed, it was like the pervert in him took over, and the blond was doomed.

Naruto had to finish a research paper for Micro-Biology, and as fascinating as Sasuke's anatomy was, Naruto wasn't _writing_ about anatomy. Even though they both knew Raidou, he wasn't guaranteed a pass because of it. _Come to think of it, why isn't __**he**__ working on his paper?_ Naruto decided to ask him.

"Why?" The raven smirked as he nipped along the blond's jaw. "Because you're much more interesting than some stupid MicroBi essay."

"Sasuke," Naruto whined.

"You always sound so hot when you beg," Sasuke whispered.

He was just about to get really dirty with his cute little blonde boyfriend when someone started banging on their front door. Sasuke would bet his balls that it was Kiba, and the other boy was going to lose his if he didn't piss off.

"Sasuke!" Kiba started yelling, banging harder. "Open the door! Open the _fucking_ door!"

"He sounds really upset," Naruto said, stunned. He vaguely thought that he didn't recall Kiba ever having sworn for real. He always did just for the hell of it, but Naruto suspected this was one of the first times he had ever actually _truly_ sworn.

"Yeah." Sasuke sighed. The brunette _did_ sound hysterical. "Come on."

"Man, why do I have to go with you?" Naruto whined, even as he sat up and jumped off his bed, following Sasuke down the stairs. The two of them reached the front door and Sasuke threw it open, intent on giving Kiba a piece of his mind. He never got the chance because his voice froze in his throat at the panicked look in the other's eyes before the brunet grabbed him, yanking him out of his unit.

"You, come." Kiba pushed against Naruto's chest as he began to follow. "You, stay here. Write your essay."

Kiba held Sasuke's wrist with a death grip to ensure he didn't try to get away, pulling him over to his own unit. Sasuke looked over his shoulder, confused, but the blond just shrugged before Sasuke disappeared into the other's unit.

The brunet slammed his door as he pulled Sasuke up the stairs, yanking him viciously around the railing and heading for the living room.

"Kiba, what the fuck!" Sasuke hollered, but the other ignored him.

Sasuke was practically thrown into one of the kitchen chairs, the raven looking at the others in the room. Hinata was standing by the window, her hand covering her mouth, and a horrified look on her face. Temari looked very similar, sitting on the couch with both hands over her mouth as she stared at the television, just like Hinata. Beside him, Sasuke could hear Kiba growling, and the brunet's fists were clenched, shaking. Kankurou and Shino both looked crossed between worry and anger. Sasuke didn't understand until he finally focussed on what they were all looking at.

The television screen.

"—_all the details are not known, it is still stated that he __**did**__ take part in the killings performed by the Akatsuki." _

All the blood drained from Sasuke's face as he stood, hoping to God this was a dream. There was no way this was happening. Not to Naruto. Not to his blond. This was all a horrible nightmare, and he was going to wake up soon, covered in drying sweat, lying on Naruto's sleeping form, and completely fine and happy.

Sasuke waited.

He wasn't waking up.

The raven was barely paying attention, a few words making it into his brain as he stared wide-eyed at a picture of Naruto that was put on the screen. It was Naruto's grad picture, the blond smiling. His eyes looked dead in the picture.

Sasuke began to shake, his brain threatening to shut down. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't protect Naruto from this like he did everything else. He couldn't do _anything_!

_At least he doesn't know,_ Sasuke's mind screamed, a small hope in this whole ordeal. _He doesn't know, so all we have to do is make sure he never goes __**anywhere**__ alone. He always needs someone with him._

That was when his eyes widened and his brain went double speed. The last thing Sasuke had watched on their television was the news. The first thing Naruto did when Sasuke was out and he was bored was turn on the television. News plus Naruto equalled disaster.

"Naruto!" Sasuke bolted for the door, feeling like it was miles away—lightyears, even—but it was only about six or seven steps. _Please, tell me you went back to your essay! __**Please**__!_

Kiba was right behind Sasuke, the two of them bolting next door. Kiba didn't know why, but if Sasuke was worried, he obviously knew something the other didn't. So, he slammed through the front door after Sasuke as the raven flew up the stairs to Naruto's room, screaming the blond's name.

"Naruto!" Sasuke reached the landing and looked into the blond's room. Empty. "Naruto! Where are you?"

He looked into his own bedroom, seeing is was also empty. He checked the last room and the bathroom before Kiba called to him from downstairs. The raven flew down them at record speed, running into the living room. There, he found Kiba standing in front of the television, staring at it. The news had moved on to the weather forecast, but it didn't matter. The television being on meant Naruto had seen, at the very least, the tail end of the news. Shit.

"Where are Neji and Gaara?" Sasuke demanded as he grabbed a jacket from the room downstairs, yanking it on.

"As far as I know, they went grocery shopping."

"Find them!" Sasuke ordered, just as Kankurou slammed into the house.

"Sasuke, Naruto's car is gone!"

"Shit! Keys! Keys! Someone get me a car!" Sasuke exploded.

"Temari!" Kankurou called before turning around and running back to his unit.

"I'm going with you," Kiba informed as he pulled on Naruto's sneakers, not wanting to return to his unit in case Sasuke left without him.

"No, you find—"

"I'm _going __**with**__ you_!" Kiba repeated, a growl in his voice Sasuke had never heard before.

The Uchiha himself growled angrily, the two still glaring at each other when Kankurou reappeared. Sasuke snatched the keys from his hand before pushing past him.

"Find the others," he ordered as Kiba followed him.

The two of them got to the parking lot in seconds, getting into Temari's car. Sasuke started it and pulled out so fast Kiba almost flew through the windshield. The brunet decided it might be a good idea to buckle up.

"Any idea where he's headed?" Kiba inquired as Sasuke pulled out of Fairview and headed down University Boulevard. They exited the campus a few seconds later.

"Not really," Sasuke mumbled, trying to think. It was hard while he was worrying over people finding his boyfriend and beating him to a bloody pulp.

"Okay, we need to think things over." Kiba tapped his head. "Naruto. If I were Naruto..." he bit his bottom lip before groaning. "I don't know, fuck."

"He wouldn't go anywhere public right now, so I'm thinking he may have gone home."

"He'd have told you. Or me. Or _someone_," Kiba argued.

"True." Sasuke bit his bottom lip. "There _has_ to be something! What would you do in this situation?" Sasuke demanded. Kiba and Naruto were fairly similar, so it might give them some kind of clue.

"I don't know—call my mum? No, wait, that wouldn't work. Maybe he went to see Tsunade?"

"Doubtful, she'd have called to let us know where he was," Sasuke replied, frowning as they drove down Broadway.

"Okay, well, I'd do something I liked. Something that made me feel better. Like, I don't know—I like ice cream. I'd eat a tub of ice cream, or do something to forget, or—"

Kiba jerked forward again as Sasuke slammed on the brakes, his eyes wide and his hands gripping the wheel tightly. Cars behind him honked angrily, and a few flipped him off as they passed, but he didn't care.

"What is it?" Kiba asked, wondering why Sasuke had reacted like that.

"Oh shit..." Sasuke turned to Kiba. "Where can you get drugs down here?"

The brunette's eyes widened. "He wouldn't."

"Find out where we can get drugs in Vancouver!" Sasuke threw his phone at Kiba before turning, heading for the West End. They _had_ to find Naruto.

* * *

Sasuke screeched around a corner as Kiba held onto the dashboard for dear life, actually quite terrified he wasn't going to survive this car ride. They still weren't even sure Naruto was actually going to be doing drugs, but they only had one way to find out.

There was only one major Heroin dealer close to UBC, and if Naruto wanted some, he was the only person to go to. Luckily, they'd been fairly close by, so even if they got there later than the blond, it wouldn't be by much. They could still stop him.

"There!" Kiba pointed to what appeared to be a normal Sheesha place—completely legal. It was the stuff that happened in the back rooms that wasn't so lawful.

Sasuke slammed on his brakes again, parking rather crudely before jumping out of the car. He'd left the engine running and everything. Kiba trusted Sasuke to get inside quickly, so he reached over and grabbed the key out of the ignition before locking the doors and chasing after him.

The raven reached the front desk, the woman behind it eying him appreciatively. He ignored that. "I'm looking for a blond guy, about my height. Did he come in here?" _Please say no, please say no, please say no._

"He might have." The woman's look turned suspicious.

"Where is he?"

"I'm not authorized to—" She screamed, causing everyone to look at her as Sasuke reached over the counter and grabbed her by the collar, lifting her clear off her seat.

"Where _is_ he?" His voice had lowered and even Kiba, who had just arrived, kept his distance.

The woman licked her lips before motioning a door across the room. "He-he's in the back. Fourth door on the left. You're probably too late."

Sasuke let her go and turned, running. He slammed through the door, counting as he ran down the corridor until he reached the fourth door. He threw it open and his eyes fell on the figure standing by a bed in the corner. He had tubing wrapped around his upper arm and a needle in his other hand.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke bolted to his side and slapped the needle away, the blond turning to look at him, stunned. The Uchiha grabbed both his wrists, holding them tightly as he looked into his boyfriend's eyes. All he could see in the depths of endless blue was defeat. Sasuke wondered how much Naruto had seen on the news.

And then, as if just seeing Sasuke set Naruto off, the blond began to sob, sinking to the ground, the raven still holding his wrists. Sasuke went down with him as Naruto shook uncontrollably, crying loudly.

"I... can't..." he gasped out between sobs. "Please... I need it... please... make it stop..."

Sasuke felt as if his heart was being wrenched out of his chest at the words. The desperation in Naruto's voice—he just wanted an escape from the pain, a way to stop hating what he'd done. Sasuke understood, but he wasn't going to let him do it. Not like this.

"Please... Sasuke... I need it... you don't understand..." Naruto had grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt, now, his hands still shaking as he continued to cry. Sasuke let go of the blond's wrists, hugging him tightly as Naruto sobbed, begging Sasuke to just let him have it, to let him escape.

Kiba stood awkwardly by the door, unsure of what to do. He eventually entered the room, crouching down beside Naruto and putting his hand on his shoulder as the blond continued to cry.

The two friends cast a look at one another over the sobbing blond's head, neither sure what to do. Kiba, for one, felt horrible depriving Naruto of what would obviously make him feel better, but he knew they couldn't let him have it. He couldn't escape using heroin.

"We're here for you, Naruto," Kiba whispered, rubbing his shoulder. "We'll help you escape."


	7. Reddish Blond Hair & Metallic Gray Eyes

**AN: You know, sometimes I wonder if I just... shouldn't reply to reviews. Not because it bothers me or anything, but because I sound like a psycho when I do. I've gotten people replying back and get the impression that I scare them... -Grabs random passerby- Am I scary?! AM I?! HOW AM I SCARY?! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY! -chases them- (And just for the record... I've done that before. Not the chasing... but I was ranting with my friend Dragonsbane from Ygal, and there was a random stranger on the street and I demanded to know something and he was like O_O We were talking about rice, I asked him if he liked rice XD He was so scared.)**

**(On another note, like I said, internet here is SHIT, so if you get a reply from me, like, eight times that says the same thing, means the internet timed out and I resent it consistently. Similarly, if you didn't get a reply, probably the same thing happened and when it finally said it went through, IT LIED! But I am now all caught up XD)**

**Also, guys, PLEASE don't put the big spoilers in the reviews :( I've been getting a lot lately, and it just makes me glad I read the manga. But some people who skim them don't, so PLEASE: NO BIG SPOILERS IN REVIEWS. Thanks :)**

**Disclaimer: -insert something witty here- K. Masashi -continue witty comment-**

* * *

Sai Baikan sat at his desk with his computer whirring loudly, the agent glaring at his screen as if it had somehow done something to offend him. He hit a key on his keyboard, and then another, slowly scrolling through the information before him. His phone rang and he answered it automatically without looking away from the screen.

"Agent Baikan."

A gruff voice started talking on the other end, informing him that his supervisor had called another meeting, which would be starting in ten minutes. He grunted a reply and hung up, still glaring at the screen. He clicked on a different window, turning up the volume of his computer and glaring again as the reporter's voice on the CNN website regurgitated what had been said on last night's news.

After lots of careful note-taking, Sai had determined that whoever had done this was a CSIS agent, mostly due to the fact that there were gaps in the story. Gaps which Sai had decided not to share with his supervisor, despite knowing he was supposed to. If this had been any free Akatsuki members, they would have spilled the whole story.

Not that there _were_ any free Akatsuki from this area. Or from much of anywhere else. They'd worked long and hard to take down all the branches after the main Vancouver branch had been destroyed. As far as they knew, Akatsuki was finished.

Someone knocked at his door and then opened it before he gave the affirmative to do so. His secretary popped her head through the gap.

"Sir, you're going to be late for the meeting. It's about Naruto Uzumaki."

That got him moving more quickly. His eyes left the screen for the first time all morning, turning off his computer with a flick of his wrist. He grabbed his suit jacket, pulling it on and shifting as it got caught on one of his guns. Closing a file on his desk, he picked it up and nodded a thanks to her as he pushed past her, heading quickly down the corridor to the meeting room. He wasn't the last one there, but he was close enough.

After he was seated, they waited an additional two minutes for the remaining three members of their team to join them, and then the doors were closed for the next hour and a half.

His supervisor looked angry, his brown eyes narrowed behind thin glasses, scanning the faces before him as if trying to find out who was the guilty party present. Sai had already told him he was certain it was a CSIS agent. Now it was just a matter of finding out _who_, exactly, it was.

"We all know why we're here." Homura Mitokado's voice was low, and dangerous. Sai didn't have a doubt in his mind that the person who'd fucked up was in for a world of hurt. "Someone made a mistake. A very _big_ mistake. I've just barely had agents pulled off watching Mr. Uzumaki, and now I feel the need to put them back where they were." Sai opened his mouth then. "_Don't_ interrupt me, Sai." His mouth snapped shut and he grit his teeth. "There is a reason this was kept from the public. A reason why I felt the need to ensure that Mr. Uzumaki was left alone. We used him in order to help us succeed in our own objectives. He was almost killed; people he loved were almost killed. We owed him this much. So," he folded his hands together, his lips set in a hard line, "who was it?"

Someone shifted uncomfortably two seat down from Sai and instantly, the raven's head snapped in that direction, his fists shaking on his thighs as he struggled to stop himself from reaching for his gun.

"Mizuki? Something to share?" Homura's voice was low, and hard.

"Aw, great!" One of the women on the team sighed. "Because of your _stupid_ girlfriend, you totally spilled the beans, didn't you?"

"Don't talk as if you know anything about her, Yuugao!" Mizuki snapped angrily.

"Mizuki!" The white-haired man winced, turning back to Homura, looking guilty. "_Was_ it you?"

"It was an accident," he mumbled, having the decency to look sheepish. Sai's fists shook even more. Fuck, he was going to smash the guy's girlfriend into the dirt. There should be a rule somewhere: CSIS agents are _not_ allowed to date reporters! He would've thought that the idiot's girlfriend would _know_ this would be bad. Not only for them, but for her. Mizuki was in shit, that was for sure, but she would probably get arrested for disclosing classified information. Not that Mizuki was going to be any better off.

"You're suspended until further notice. I'm going to have to discuss this with our Head, and your punishment will be determined in due time."

The white-haired man clenched his jaw, but simply nodded and stood to leave the room. Everyone knew his punishment was going to be jail. He'd disclosed classified information to a civilian. Even if she was his girlfriend, his wife, his sister; it didn't matter. It was against the law, and especially in CSIS, laws were followed.

Mizuki paused at the exit, the door partly open with two security officers present to relieve him of his weapons and escort him out. He turned slightly to look at Sai.

"Does it help in any way if I tell you I'm sorry?"

"No."

Nodding, he turned away and exited the room, everyone feeling the tension in the air. Homura would have told Sai to take a walk, but that wasn't an option right now. He glared slightly at his best agent, hating how personal this had gotten, but knowing it couldn't be helped.

"So, what do we do now?" one of the other agents asked, to ease the tension slightly.

"It was classified for a reason." Homura removed his glasses and dropped them on the table, rubbing his eyes. "We'll have to call a press conference and deny all claims."

"Will that work?" Sai asked, even though he knew the answer.

"People will believe it, but there'll still be doubt. Some will choose not to, and Mr. Uzumaki's life is going to become more difficult."

"Sir, I would—"

"No." Sai's fists clenched tighter. "This isn't open for debate, Sai. If I decide to post another agent to watch him once more, it won't be you. Sometimes, being too personal with a subject is dangerous. You might lose your head."

"I won't."

"I just told you this wasn't open for debate." Gritting his teeth, Sai nodded, lowering his head.

"Understood."

"Can we really afford to spare an agent to look after some kid?" It took a lot of effort for Sai to keep his mouth shut as the same girl as before spoke. "Haven't we wasted enough time on him?"

"Naruto Uzumaki helped us in the past. Whether he was aware of it at the time or not, he was a very valuable asset. His refusal for witness protection makes his safety our responsibility."

"Are you sure you're not just playing favourites?" Another agent looked at Sai meaningfully. It wasn't a secret that he was Homura's favourite agent.

"You would do well to remember to show your superiors the proper respect." Homura glared.

Sai did his best to block out the conversation as it continued, instead trying to recite as much as he knew of the code of conduct handbook in his head. He wanted to keep his mind occupied, but every so often, the words would slip up and Naruto's anguished face would force itself into his mind. He rubbed his temples roughly, closing his eyes.

Last year was going to seem like cake when compared to this one. And the thing that he hated the most out of anything else was that he knew Naruto. And he knew that no matter what people did to him, no matter how much they hurt him—he wouldn't fight back.

Because Naruto felt that he deserved everything he was getting. What people didn't understand was that nobody hated Naruto as much as he hated himself.

* * *

Tsunade Sannin's finger hovered over her mouse as she stared at the campus-wide email present on her screen. The mouse was above the send button, but she couldn't bring herself to actually hit the final key. Sending it out would probably cause more problems than anything else, and she didn't want to play favourites, but—she couldn't just let things play out.

When Hitomi had died, Tsunade had took it upon herself to protect Naruto. She knew the brat almost as well as his own grandmother, and he was going to get hurt. She wouldn't be able to face Hitomi or Arashi in the afterlife if anything happened to their little ball of sunshine.

She snorted at that thought. _Yes, because I've done __**such**__ a good job in protecting him already._ She sighed, shaking her head. First he got shot, then he got recruited into Akatsuki, then he got stabbed, he almost died, his boyfriend almost died, his boyfriend went into a coma; everything that had happened to him ever since Hitomi had died. It was like she couldn't keep the kid happy for more than two minutes. And that frustrated her.

Sighing, she shook her head and finally sent the email, slapping her laptop shut as soon as a confirmation popped up. Rubbing her temples, she called for whoever had just knocked to enter. When she looked up, she smiled and leaned back in her seat.

"Hello, brother dearest."

"Hey." Jiraiya fell down in one of the chairs across from her desk. "What did the computer do to offend you so much?" Tsunade frowned. "You probably broke it with the force you shut it with."

"I just sent a campus-wide email. Anyone found upsetting Naruto in any way, whether it be verbally or physically, will be expelled and banned from the premises."

Jiraiya winced, but nodded in approval. He knew she hated that she'd had to sink that low, but it was a necessity. Even in First year, the blond had gotten beat up on a few times, and that wasn't because of anything Naruto had done. Now that the news had essentially ruined Naruto's life, he was just as concerned for him as everyone else.

"I spoke to Yamato," Jiraiya informed her. "He says he doesn't think sessions are going to help much after what just happened, but he'll try his best to get Naruto to come down for one."

"And Sasuke?" She folded her hands together, frowning.

"Wouldn't answer his phone. I called Kiba and Neji, instead. Neji was the only one who answered, said that Kiba was with Sasuke and Naruto. They're kind of all alternating spending time with him, but Sasuke refuses to leave his side."

"And?" Her hands tightened around each other.

"He's doing okay." Jiraiya shifted in his seat. "As okay as he can be, anyway. Neji said he could hear him laughing through the wall."

Tsunade relaxed instantly, closing her eyes. She was glad that Sasuke seemed to have magical powers. Whenever Naruto was upset, the Uchiha made him happy within seconds. Of course, that put a lot of pressure on the raven, but at least she knew he would do it no matter what. Luckily for all of them, he was in love with the blond brat.

"I'm glad. That's good news." She opened her eyes again. "Kakashi called earlier, as well. He believes it'd be a good idea to send Naruto and Sasuke away for a while. I was considering it myself, but I think that school is the best thing for him right now. It stops him from thinking too much. What do you think?"

Jiraiya seemed to ponder this for a while, understanding both sides. Having Naruto away from school with Sasuke would help because he wouldn't have the constant stares there to bother him. He might even be safer, depending on where they went, like Hawaii or something. But then again, as Tsunade had said, when Naruto had too much time to think, his mind never went places anyone liked.

Sasuke was only one person, and they all knew he'd be willing to give up a term's tuition to make Naruto feel better, but that wasn't fair. And asking others was out of the question. Jiraiya knew they would all do it, but really, the best thing right now was for him to be around people who cared about him. People who would help him forget, without just relying on Sasuke. Even _he_ had to sleep and have some alone time. Taking care of Naruto all the time would become draining for him.

"He needs to stay here," Jiraiya agreed. "Maybe we should invite him to dinner." He paused. "With his father."

Tsunade winced at that, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. Naruto had told them about his father, but they hadn't met the man yet. And honestly, they were afraid to. Not because they didn't believe he _was_ his father, but because they were scared to have it confirmed.

Minako hadn't exactly been the best mother in the world, so for her to have had an affair wasn't all that far-fetched. Tsunade had even gone to see Shizune to discuss the possibility with her, and after much stuttering and a few glares from the UBC President, she'd admitted that Sasuke had come down with a few things to have the paternity proven. Tsunade didn't feel it was her place to tell Naruto that Sasuke didn't believe it to be true. After all, everyone knew there had already been one DNA test done. Tsunade had even gotten a copy of it from Naruto.

"I'll call Naruto for dinner. We'll see if he brings up his father," Tsunade finally answered after a long silence. "Do you think he'll want to come? Things have been—different. Since Orochimaru."

Jiraiya's face turned into a vicious scowl upon hearing his brother's name. Neither of them liked thinking about what he'd done. How he'd joined the same organization as Minako. How he'd done unspeakable things to Naruto, the heroin being only slightly angering when compared to the _other_ thing he had done. And even though Naruto knew that Tsunade and Jiraiya were nothing like their brother, never had been, he had been avoiding them a lot.

"He feels guilty," Jiraiya said once he'd calmed down. "I don't think it's us, Tsunade." He leaned forward and touched her arm lightly, offering a smile. "He thinks we're mad about what he did to Orochimaru."

"What about what Orochimaru did to _him_?!" Her voice was almost hysterical and it took a conscious effort for her to calm down. "I don't _care_ that the snake's in jail. I'm _happy_ he's behind bars for what he did! He should have gotten worse than prison. He should have had to relive everything he did to Naruto." She held back angry tears, hating her brother for what he'd done.

"You know Naruto." Jiraiya soothed, trying to keep his own anger in check. "You know he always carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. If anything bad happens, it's _always_ his fault. You know that." He sighed, shaking his head. "Naruto will come if we ask him. Go ahead and call him." He picked up her phone and held it out to her. "Just leave a message. He'll get it when he gets it."

Tsunade nodded, taking the phone but keeping her eyes lowered. She dialled his number, worrying her bottom lip as it rang. When his voicemail beeped, the words caught in her throat and she didn't know what to say. Jiraiya gently pulled it from her hand and put it to his own ear.

"Hey there, kiddo. It's Jiraiya. I'm here with Tsunade right now, and we were just talking about how it's been a while since we've seen our favourite brat. Just extending an invitation for dinner at our place. Offer stands for as long as you want it to, just let us know when you're free, and we'll make sure we're ready for ya." He started to hang up, then brought it back to hit ear. "Oh yeah, and—feel free to bring company. Whoever you want. See you soon, kiddo. Call us." He hung up, and Tsunade nodded in thanks.

"He's a tough kid, Tsunade." Jiraiya smiled.

"I know he is. I know he'll be fine. He always is."

* * *

Sasuke held Naruto's cell phone to his ear as he listened to the voicemails, only half paying attention to them as Kiba continued talking about his crazy high school days. He'd been talking about them for the last two hours, but Naruto laughed and asked a lot of questions, so Sasuke was grateful for the brunet's ridiculous childhood.

He didn't want to stay away too long, but at least he could still hear what was going on from the top of the stairs. Kiba's voice carried very easily, and Naruto's laugh could probably be heard all the way to the Village. Which was a good thing. It made him less tense knowing Naruto was better... or, at least, _pretending_ to be better.

He deleted another message from Yamato imploring him to call him back, and listened for the next one. It was Yamato. Again. Delete. Kakashi this time, asking Sasuke if Naruto was doing okay, and to call him. He deleted it, though he had to give his guardian credit for knowing it would be Sasuke listening to the voicemails. He had his finger poised on the number seven, ready to delete the next voicemail, when the voice shocked him.

"_Hey there, kiddo. It's Jiraiya."_ Sasuke was stunned. It felt like forever since he'd heard from Tsunade or her brother.

Though Tsunade had called a few times during the summer, and then once more before school started, Sasuke knew that she and her brother were scared to contact Naruto. And ironically, he also knew Naruto was scared to contact them. They were all dancing around each other, worried they had upset the other. Sasuke figured he would force Naruto to go to this dinner. He saved the message, then snapped the phone shut, heading back downstairs where Kiba had moved on to a heroic story of how he saved his sister's dog from a bear. Sasuke felt inclined to believe it was the other way around.

"It was _awesome_! The bear ran away like his life depended on it!" Kiba's chest puffed out proudly. "Scared the thing shitless."

"Your face would scare anyone, or anything, Kiba. That's nothing to be proud of." Sasuke sat down beside Naruto, resting his arm along the back of the seat. The brunet scowled at him.

"You know, you're not really nice to me, Uchiha."

"Whoever said I was nice period?" He smirked, but leaned forward to ruffle his friend's hair. "You're just too easy to tease, Kiba."

"Yeah, yeah. Glad hurting my feelings is such a fun game to you." He pouted for a second, then his face lit up and he grinned, bouncing excitedly in his seat. "Oh, oh guys! Oh, I've got a good one! It starts with 'I' and rhymes with 'lost the game'!"

Naruto stared at Kiba, utterly confused, but Sasuke just blinked. It took both of them a few seconds to remember what he was talking about. It had been months since they'd last played "the game," where the point was to not _think_ of the game, and once you did, you lost. Kiba had obviously just lost, which made the other two lose. Naruto burst out laughing, cursing over the fact that he'd been winning for such a long time. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I got another. It starts with 'idiot' and rhymes with 'Kiba'."

The brunet glared. "That's not funny, dude."

"And yours was?"

"I'll have you know, I am _always_ funny." He puffed his chest out proudly.

"Yeah, funny-looking."

Naruto howled with laughter, slapping his knee as Kiba sputtered, trying to think of a comeback. He just glared and crossed his arms, pouting, when his brain failed him. Sasuke smirked, finding that unsurprising, since he doubted the brunet had a brain to begin with.

The door opened without anyone bothering to knock, and Gaara walked in, though Sasuke saw Neji standing outside the unit. The Hyuuga didn't enter, he simply whispered one last thing to the redhead before the door was closed. Climbing the stairs silently, the youngest of the Sabakus headed into the living room and sat down in one of the empty chairs, everyone staring at him.

"Hi."

Sasuke applauded his self-control as he held back a smirk. Gaara was probably shifting uncomfortably in his own way over having to spend time being sociable. At least they had to appreciate his sacrifice. It showed he cared about Naruto a lot.

"How's it goin', Gaara?" Naruto smiled, leaning sideways so he was resting against Sasuke more. The raven wrapped his arm more securely around Naruto, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. He looked happy enough, but Sasuke could tell there was still pain in his eyes. He pressed his lips together. Naruto was a good actor.

"We're thinking of ordering pizza and playing some video games later. Did you guys want to join in?"

"Sure." Naruto jumped on the invitation. "Which unit?"

"Neji and I were thinking ours. It has the biggest living room."

"I'm down for that. Sasuke?" The raven turned and saw the look in Naruto's eyes. It almost broke his heart. As if he was going to leave Naruto alone for even a second.

"Sure, sounds like fun." He turned to smirk at Kiba. "You in, Dogface?"

"Oh, you bet your stupid ass I am! And I'll probably kick your ass, no matter what it is we play!" Kiba turned to Gaara then, demanding to know what games they were playing so he could begin planning for Operation Kick-Sasuke's-Ass. The raven himself took that time to look over at Naruto, the blond seeming like he was paying attention to Kiba. He pressed his lips together, wondering what it was that had happened recently that would make Naruto think he wouldn't stay with him.

He'd already known almost all the details of Naruto's involvement with Akatsuki, and it worried him to think that Naruto believed he would leave him just because of that. The look he'd given him had been so full of fear and pain that Sasuke wanted to grab a knife and hack it out of his brain so that he never had to think about it again.

His arm tightened instinctively around Naruto, the blond turning to look at him. Sasuke smiled, leaning forward to press his lips lovingly against his boyfriend's forehead. Naruto returned the favour by kissing Sasuke's neck.

"You _do_ have a bedroom," a dry voice supplied, Sasuke turning to smirk at a disgruntled-looking Kiba. Gaara didn't seem like he even noticed.

"But then how would we make you uncomfortable?"

Kiba's eyebrow twitched. "You know, I think I'm going to start pretending I don't care anymore when I walk in on you guys."

"Please do. That way, your shrieks of agony won't interrupt our fucking." Sasuke waited as his words slowly processed in Kiba's brain. He could practically _see_ the gears turning before the brunet's hands flew to his head.

"Gah! Mental image! Mental image!" He shook his head wildly, rubbing it roughly with both hands. Sasuke laughed, half-expecting him to start banging his head on the closest table to rid it of the image he'd produced. Naruto just chuckled.

"Well _that_ lasted all of two seconds"

"You'll pay for that, Uchiha!"

"Sure, sure." He smirked, ready to deliver a comeback when the house phone rang, everyone jumping—even Gaara. The two inhabitants had forgotten they even _had_ a landline. Sighing, he let Naruto reach over to answer it. He had to admit, it had been a valiant effort trying to stop people from talking to Naruto, fearing that they would upset him, but he really couldn't stop them forever. Yamato's first ever phonecall had been on the landline, so he should have expected this eventually.

Didn't mean he had to like it, though.

"Um, hello?" Naruto's voice was small as he answered, as if the second he'd picked up the phone, he suddenly remembered everything they'd all been trying to make him forget. "Oh, hey, dad."

Gaara was out of his seat in a second, flying across the room and slamming his hand rather painfully over Sasuke's mouth as soon as it became clear the raven was about to start swearing. He glared, emphasizing the point that Naruto's happiness was all that mattered, and he had to suck it up while the blond spoke to his father.

Sasuke exhaled loudly, obviously annoyed, but he nodded and Gaara's hand disappeared. He was back in his seat before anyone could blink. Naruto hadn't even noticed he'd moved.

"What?" Naruto's tone caused all three to turn to him, Kiba frowning, concerned. There was a long silence as he listened to Pein, his hand tightening around the receiver. "Right. No, I'm not mad. I'm _not_ mad!"

Kiba and Sasuke shared a look. Kiba mouthed that Naruto was definitely mad. Sasuke rolled his eyes, as if to tell the other that this was obvious. The only one who didn't move was Gaara. He just watched as Naruto's muscles tensed in anger, and then stood in one fluid motion. Grabbing the back of Kiba's shirt, the yanked the other from his seat and dragged him towards the door, the brunet cursing and struggling as he almost toppled backwards down the stairs to the entrance. The door opened and closed quickly, Sasuke alone with his angry boyfriend. He wondered what Gaara knew that he didn't.

"Yes. I know. I know. I'm sorry, we'll talk. Yeah. I'll call you tomorrow. Bye."

Naruto hung the phone up slowly. Much too slowly. Sasuke stiffened, wondering what Pein had said to piss his boyfriend off so much. He got ready to comfort him, or calm him down—whichever seemed like the best course of action—when the blond turned around and all the blood drained from his face.

He had never seen Naruto quite so angry in all the time they'd known each other, and before he had time to react, the blond's fist came flying towards his face. He just barely had time to dodge it, the blow clipping him in the cheek instead of the nose, like Naruto had been aiming for.

Falling from the couch, but scrambling back to his feet, Sasuke blocked another blow from the blond, grabbing his wrist and twisting it up his back. Kicking out Naruto's knees, he shoved him forward so his face was pressed into the couch, his chest heaving with anger.

"Calm down! What the hell!" Sasuke yelled, his cheek stinging. "What was that about?!"

"Like you don't _fucking_ know, you asshole!"

"I _don't_ know!" Sasuke yelled angrily. "Other than the fact that your dad said something to piss you off, I have _no_ idea what the fuck is going on!"

"Where's my razor, _Sasuke_?" He bit out the raven's name, and his words caused his head to snack back in shock. _Oh shit..._

"How should I know, dumbass?" The Uchiha pulled away, letting Naruto's wrist go and standing up, backing away slightly so his boyfriend wouldn't get another hit in. Once he was free, Naruto rounded on him, fury in his eyes. "Maybe you forgot it at home."

"Bullshit!" Naruto screamed, his voice raising an octave. Sasuke clenched his jaw tightly. "I noticed it was missing, but I didn't think much of it. Not until right _fucking_ now!" His voice lowered dangerously. "You can get arrested for that, you know. You had _no_ right—"

"No _right_?!" Sasuke yelled, losing his temper. "So now I'm not allowed to care for your well-being? I was just looking out for you!"

"Oh, looking _out_ for me?!" Naruto laughed bitterly. "Because my dad is _really_ my biggest problem right now, Sasuke! You can't _protect_ me from everything!" As if to emphasize his point, he picked up the television remote and hurled it at the raven. Sasuke dodged it easily, but it didn't make the sting of his words hurt any less.

"I can't believe you went behind my back like this! I already _told _you that I had someone watching the process all the way there and back! I _told_ you I had it under control! Do you so badly want me _not_ to have a father that you'll do whatever you can to prove he's lying?!"

"It's not like that!" Sasuke yelled, feeling defensive. "I'm jealous, yeah, I'll admit it, but I don't _like_ him! He doesn't _act_ like a dad!"

"Because he doesn't know how to!" Naruto exploded. "How the fuck can he know after only having recently found out he had a kid?! The guy's fucking _single_, for crying out loud!"

Sasuke closed his eyes, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose to try and calm himself down. Exploding any more would just cause them more problems. He had to calm down and try to speak to him calmly and rationally. He had to make him understand he had his well-being in mind when he did what he did. Even if Naruto was pissed at him for a few days, it was better than nothing. At least now, he knew he'd tried.

"What did he say?"

"He got a letter in the mail today. It was the results of another DNA test which neither he nor I had done." His glare could have curdled milk. Sasuke winced. "And of course, I _never_ would have suspected you because I'd have thought you _trusted_ me more than that!"

"I _do_ trust you!" Sasuke insisted. "I just know you don't worry about yourself nearly as much as you should!"

"So you think I should be a paranoid ball of anxiety?" Naruto asked dryly.

"Well—maybe." Honestly, the raven didn't know how to answer that question.

Snorting, Naruto shook his head, pushing past Sasuke towards the stairs. He paused halfway up, swallowing hard and turning to look down at his boyfriend... if he was even his _boyfriend_ anymore, at this point.

"I really hate you right now," he whispered. "I _hate_ you. I wish you would just disappear."

Sasuke stood frozen as his eyes widened slightly, Naruto continuing up the stairs and closing his bedroom door with a sense of finality. The blond's words echoed in his head, his body going numb. The more the words echoed, the harder it was for him to stay standing.

Naruto hated him.

* * *

Leaning back in his seat with his lips slightly parted as he slept, a knock sounding at the door caused the body in the chair to jerk almost violently, his eyes darting around wildly before straightening and clearing his throat.

"Yeah, come in."

The door opened and a purple-haired woman leaned back against the doorframe, looking in at Sai as he straightened up what he had sitting on his desk. She laughed slightly.

"Did you go home at _all_ since that news story?" She moved further into the office, bending down to pick up a few files that had fallen to the ground. Sai mumbled something that sounded suspiciously similar to "fuck off."

"Now, now, I'm just looking out for you, Baikan." Yuugao Uzuki put his files back on the desk, then crossed her arms. "Are you still mad about what I said? About the kid?" She shifted uncomfortably.

"He's not a kid, Yuugao. He's almost twenty." Sai gave her a look. She just shrugged.

"I'm just saying. He's not really our top priority right now. I know it's our fault, because of Mizuki, but he's kind of low on the importance scale, here."

"Sure." Sai was done with this discussion, that much was clear. Yuugao sighed, shaking her head.

"If it's any consolation, Mizuki got taken into custody yesterday." Sai looked away from his files for the first time. She nodded. "Two years. And when he gets out, he probably won't be able to get another government job, no matter how small."

"Good," Sai snapped, returning to organizing his files. "Jail isn't bad enough for what he did."

"You're taking this too personally." Yuugao sat on the edge of his desk. "I mean, you have to know it'll never work. He's too young for you, for one thing, and for another, he's—well..."

"He's got Uchiha."

"Yeah," she whispered, wincing slightly. "He never calls you. You're the one who calls him."

"He calls me," Sai argued. "Just—not as often as I call him."

"You're a good guy, Sai." Yuugao reached forward and ruffled his hair affectionately. "You work so hard; you can have so much. Please stop going after something you can't have."

"Don't worry about me." He grinned. "I'm good at getting what I want. Uchiha can't keep Naruto forever. Sooner or later, he'll slip up."

Yuugao rolled her eyes, then sighed. Sai had a one-track mind. Once he knew what he wanted, he stuck to it whether it was logical to or not. She figured there was no point arguing this with him, so she stood to leave his office.

"We have a meeting at nine. You should run home and change. Maybe even shower, since you don't smell particularly nice." She smiled slightly. "At least try and take care of yourself."

"I'll take that into consideration."

She nodded and left his office. Sai rubbed his eyes, shaking his head and exhaling deeply. He shifted to open one of his desk drawers, looking in at the picture he kept hidden there. It was taken during the summer. Sasuke was glaring in the background of the picture, but Naruto's smile as he and Sai stood with their arms over each other's shoulders warmed his heart every time he saw it.

Sighing, he closed the drawer and stood, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair and heading for the exit. Yuugao was right about one thing, at least. He really did stink.

* * *

It was close to ten in the morning down at Fairview, and most students were up and bustling about to get ready for class. Some were eating, some were getting dressed, and others still continued on in slumber, their classes starting later in the day.

All these people were currently being envied by Kiba, since he'd been the only one not to have gotten to the bathroom before Sasuke. The Uchiha had slept on their couch, and then had gone to the bathroom after everyone else had already used it. Kiba figured he was being picked on because he and Sasuke were the only two who didn't have morning classes, so he could afford to wait.

But not when he really had to take a leak.

Everyone else was gone, so it wasn't like he could just run next door and ask to use their bathroom. He had no choice but to wait. And not patiently, at that.

Banging angrily on the door, he ignored the cursing he heard from within, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor when he paused in his pounding.

"Sasuke! I need to piss, fuck! What the hell is taking you so fucking long in there?!" He grabbed a magazine off the hall table and hit it against the door, his hand beginning to hurt. "Open up. Open up, dammit!"

"Fuck off, Kiba!"

"Then tell me where the key to your damn unit is so I can fucking piss! I just need to take a leak, come on, fuck!"

"You can't fucking leave!"

"Why the hell not?!"

"Because I need you to stay where you are!"

Kiba blinked. Sasuke wanted him to stay where he was... even if it meant him pissing his pants? That wasn't very considerate of him, and it made Kiba almost want to leave just to spite him.

Almost.

"And why, pray tell, can't I leave?" He was met with silence, which caused him to frown. Sasuke wasn't much of a talker on the best of days, but still. Generally, he answered questions, unless the answers were things people wouldn't want to hear. Sighing, he leaned his forehead against the door. "Blondie'll get over it, Uchiha. He's upset, but he'll get over it. He knows you're just looking out for him."

There was a snort, then a hiss. Kiba sighed again, grinding his forehead against the wood, his need to go to the bathroom almost forgotten. Not entirely, but it was just a dull ache, now.

"He said he hated me, Kiba."

"So? You say you hate me all the time." The brunet smiled slightly. He knew it wasn't really the same thing, but Naruto _loved_ Sasuke. They all knew it. He was just pissed off. "Sasuke, come on, think rationally. Last year, when Naruto wasn't telling you what was up, you stopped talking to him for, what, a month? You were mad, but you got over it. He's mad, and he will _also_ get over it."

"I just can't believe Shizune did that!" Sasuke suddenly exploded. "After all her talk of how dangerous it was, how we could get arrested, and all that shit, she went out and fucking _mailed_ him the results!"

"They keep records of things like that in hospitals, Sasuke." Kiba winced. "Maybe someone found the results and didn't know it was personal, so they sent them out to both Pein _and_ Naruto. They didn't mean any harm, it was probably an accident."

"Accidents seem to happen a lot to the two of us."

Kiba didn't know what to say to that, because it was true. They had the worst luck in the world. He'd never heard of anyone on the planet with worse luck than his two friends, and it made him feel guilty. He would gladly walk in on them a few more times a month if it meant taking away some of their bad luck. It made him feel so helpless standing around, unable to do anything to help them.

And it was worse knowing how Naruto liked escaping. After catching him almost shooting up, Kiba felt sick to his stomach every time the image popped into his head. That was such an unhealthy way to escape from the pain. Not that Sasuke had a healthier way, but at least—

His head snapped up as the thought flitted through his head. His mind flashed back to the previous year, when Neji had told him and Gaara that Sasuke had started cutting again. Then he thought to how Sasuke had asked him not to go anywhere, as if knowing Kiba was waiting for a reply was stopping him from cutting somewhere he shouldn't.

"Sasuke Uchiha," his voice lowered, his fists shaking, "open this door right fucking now, before I break it down. I know what you're doing in there. Open this door. Now."

He heard nothing for a long while, and then figured Sasuke wasn't willing to face an angry Kiba—no one had seen him lose his temper completely yet, but if they ever did, they'd be running. The lock clicked, but the door didn't open, so Kiba pushed it himself. Sasuke had returned to sitting on the toilet lid, his left arm riddled with straight lines of broken flesh, blood slowly trailing down his skin.

Walking two steps forward, Kiba held out his hand, Sasuke hesitating before handing Kiba the blade he'd been using. He was almost worried the brunet would stab him with it. Instead, the other boy closed his hand around it, then brought the magazine he'd been holding in his other hand up and smacked Sasuke over the head with it.

"Ow!"

"Don't you fucking _ow_ my god damn hitting you over the head with a magazine!" He hit him a few more times, Sasuke trying to protect himself. "You fucking idiot! You stupid, fucking fuck fuckface piece of fucking shitty fuck! Fuck!"

Kiba had a mini tantrum in the bathroom, hitting Sasuke hard every now and then with the magazine before jumping up and down in anger, trying to stop himself from smashing his fist into Sasuke's face. The only thing holding him back was the fact that he'd slice open his hand, since he still had the blade clenched in his fist.

"Seriously? _Seriously_?! Fuck!" Kiba paced back and forth, throwing his hands in the air, then turning back to Sasuke. _"Seriously?!"_

"Stop saying that."

"Shut the fuck up." Kiba pointed a finger at him. "You, you and talking, right now, uh uh." He wagged one finger from side to side quickly. "You're not allowed to talk right now. You can only sit there and listen to me call you names. After—fuck!" He started pacing again. "All the shit we give Naruto for his heroin, and you go and _cut_ yourself?" He turned back to Sasuke. "Seriously?! I should punch you in the face, you fucking fuckface idiot fuck!"

Sasuke idly wondered how many more times Kiba could use the word 'fuck' before he got bored with it. So far, he was doing pretty well for himself.

"You're not allowed to do this." He motioned Sasuke's arm. "Ever. _Ever_. You can't do this anymore. Every time you cut yourself, I'll go out and buy Naruto heroin."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously at that. "You wouldn't."

"If it stops you, don't put it past me." Kiba grit his teeth angrily. "If he's not allowed his unhealthy escape, why the fuck should _you_?"

"Mine isn't gonna kill me!" Sasuke shouted.

"Oh no?" He threw the magazine on the ground and grabbed the raven's right arm, yanking it straight. He motioned the scar on the other's wrist, his eyes hard. "I'm sorry if First year is too far back for you to remember the day Naruto came back to get his Anatomy book and found you almost dead on your bed because of your 'not gonna kill me' habit." He shoved the other's arm away.

Sasuke felt guilty, now. He remembered that day clearly, because that was the day he and Naruto sort of almost became friends. He looked away, jumping slightly when Kiba threw a towel at him. He pressed it against his arm to stop the bleeding, but kept his eyes away from the other's. Kiba had bent down to grab the magazine, but it looked like he was done hitting Sasuke for the moment.

"I'm sorry if I worried you."

"You _did_ worry me!" Kiba snapped. "I may be dumb, but I know why you wanted me to stay! You were thinking of the veins, and don't deny the fact!"

"I don't deal well with abandonment," Sasuke whispered.

"Understatement!"

The raven winced. He understood Kiba was angry, but he wasn't exactly making things easier for him. Kiba didn't understand what it was like to be him. He didn't understand that the pain helped. It dulled the emotional hole left behind by Naruto's words.

"I don't mean to do it, Kiba," he whispered, the brunet—for once—not interrupting. "It just... helps me. And once I know it makes the emotional pain go away, I can't stop. It's addictive. Like candy."

And he got hit over the head with the magazine again.

"Pain is not candy!" He got hit again. "If you want candy," another hit, "I'll fucking go get you some! All you gotta say is, 'hey, Kiba, I feel like shit, go get me some candy' and I'll go get you some God damn candy!" He hit Sasuke over the head as he said each of the last three words. The raven didn't bother trying to protect himself anymore.

"I'm sorry."

"Guh!" Kiba threw the magazine away to stop from beating his friend to death with it. "You're gonna kill me one day, Uchiha. You and Naruto both." He left the bathroom and reappeared a few seconds later, throwing a shirt at Sasuke while yanking on a sweater. "Get dressed, I'll bring you to the campus hospital."

"It's not that—" The look he got made the words freeze in his lungs and he nodded. "Hospital. Right. Going." He stood up and yanked the shirt on, promising Kiba he'd buy him a new one, since he was already staining the sleeve with his blood.

"Don't worry about it." The brunet led the way downstairs and out the door. "What's a little blood between friends, right?" He smiled slightly. "Let's hurry so we're not late for class."

"Kiba." Sasuke grabbed his arm. "Don't—don't tell anyone about this, okay?" He winced, knowing it was pretty much a pointless request. Gaara and Neji would find out, and Kankurou, Hinata, Temari and Shino weren't blind. If he slept on their couch much longer, they were bound to notice the bandages.

"I think you've forfeited your ability to tell me what to do, Sasuke." Kiba patted his shoulder as they exited the unit. "We can't help but look out for you. You're too busy keeping an eye on Naruto that you never take care of yourself."

"I do too." Sasuke frowned. "Don't waste your time worrying about me. I'm fine."

"Uh huh."

"I am." The raven glared as he followed Kiba towards the road, pressing the towel more tightly against his arm. "I can take care of myself. I don't need anyone to protect me."

"If that's how you feel, Uchiha." The brunet just shook his head. Everyone needed someone. Sasuke was just too stubborn to admit it.

* * *

Sasuke scuffed the floor with his shoe lightly as he dragged his feet, ignoring everyone around him as he walked through Pacific Centre in Downtown Vancouver. He had headphones on, and his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he walked idly through the large shopping centre. He didn't have anywhere to be, and had nowhere he wanted to go. His fight with Naruto made the thought of home unappealing, and his morning with Kiba didn't make him very eager to meet up with the brunet again. Even though he hid it well, he could tell his friend was sore at him, and he had every right to be. He was sure Kiba had told Naruto about his arm, by now.

His hand tightened around the cell phone in his pocket, wondering when the blond would call him. Sasuke wasn't going to be the first one to call and apologize. At least _he_ was just looking out for the blond. Naruto had done nothing but accuse him and get mad since Pein had shown up. And... what he'd said... Sasuke winced.

No matter how angry they'd ever gotten at one another, they'd never had a fight quite as bad as the one last night. Naruto had said he hated him. Sasuke wondered if it was true. He'd angered him quite a bit, and Naruto wasn't one to hold a grudge, but—he still hadn't called. He hadn't made any effort whatsoever to get in touch with him. He'd even skipped the classes they had together.

This was bad. Bad enough for Sasuke to find the nearest knife shop and continue what he'd started that morning, this time _without_ Kiba around to stop him.

_Fuck, I should've just let it go!_ Sasuke growled, raking a hand through his hair _Nevermind that I was __**just**__ trying to look out for him. Blissful ignorance is better than this bullshit. Fuck._ He was going to have to ask the others to talk to Naruto. He didn't think the blond would feel inclined to forgive him without some convincing.

Sighing deeply, he shook his head and turned to head down an adjacent corridor to go to the bathroom. He pushed through the swinging door and went about his business, washing his hands and splashing water on his face. He looked up at himself as two men talked about sex on their way out of the bathroom. He rolled his eyes, finding this wasn't exactly the best place for them to be discussing this.

Turning off the tap, he grabbed a paper towel to dry his hands and heard his footsteps echo off the walls in the empty bathroom as he headed to the door. Once there, he threw out his trash and pulled open the heavy door, shoving his hands back in his pockets as he walked back down the corridor towards the mall.

Almost having reached the end, someone suddenly turned into the corridor and blocked his path, a malicious smirk present on his features.

"Hello, Sasuke."

The raven's eyes narrowed, but he tried to be civil as his index finger hit the pause button on his Ipod in his pocket, bringing his other hand up to lower his headphones. "Pein. I didn't realize you knew of this mall."

"Cute, Uchiha. Real cute." The other's smirk was still present, but his eyes were hard and cold.

Hearing footsteps coming up behind him, Sasuke's eyes shifted so he could glance out of his peripheral. There were two men behind him. One was tall, bulky, and incredibly intimidating with reddish-blond—almost orange—hair and dark, deep-set eyes. The other was smaller—scrawny, even—with straight light blue hair and dark metallic eyes. Though neither moved closer to him, he could tell they weren't just there to go to the bathroom. He refocused his attention on Pein.

"You've been causing a lot of problems for me, Sasuke." The man had his hands folded together in front of himself, his eyes locked on the raven's. "All you had to do was give up, and let the pieces fall into place, but you couldn't leave well enough alone. No matter how often you fought, you just couldn't call it quits."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further. "What are you talking about?"

"Sasuke," Pein laughed his name out, shaking his head. "You're such a protective boyfriend. Always looking out for Naruto, always trying to keep him safe. Doing everything in your power. Sometimes, obsession can make a man go crazy."

"Obsession?" Sasuke ground his teeth, taking a step forward to get past Pein. "I think our conversation is over, _Pein_."

"I don't think so, _Sasuke_." One hand fell on the raven's shoulder, pushing him backwards. He stumbled slightly, not having gone back far enough to knock into the two men behind him, but also close enough that he felt breath on the back of his neck as one of them exhaled a laugh.

"What do you _want_?" he spat angrily.

"That's the point you appear to be missing." Pein was smiling again, and it grew wider by the second. "You spent so much time trying to protect Naruto that you forgot all about our main target."

Sasuke didn't like where this was going. "Your main target?"

"Of course." Pein leaned forward slightly. "Tell me Sasuke, since you're the one always protecting Naruto... who's protecting you?"

He felt the stab of a needle on the left side of his neck and jerked away quickly, covering the spot as he turned, seeing the larger man holding a syringe in his hand. His eyes fell to the contents and his blood ran cold as he noticed it was empty. He could feel a coldness spreading down his neck.

Shit.

Turning back to Pein, he shoved past him violently, still keeping one hand against his neck, and stumbled back into the mall. He rushed towards the escalators, fumbling to get his phone out of his pocket as the world began to spin around him.

_Shit, shit, shit! Shit! Fuck!_ The phone was extracted, only to promptly fall from his grasp. He quickly bent down to grab it, the world tilting at an impossible angle, causing him to hit the ground hard. Breathing hard, his vision darkening around the edges as people cried out in shock around him, he forced the phone closer to his face to see the numbers he was dialling. He only had four inserted when it was pulled easily from his grasp, and Pein was bent down over him.

"Sasuke, are you all right?"

His voice was wrong. It was all wrong. He sounded panicked, worried. Anyone around them would think he was trying to help Sasuke. Trying to make sure he was all right. He opened his mouth to say something, but no sounds came out. In reality, his mouth hadn't even opened at all.

Vision fading even more, the last sight that greeted him was one of Pein and the two men from earlier all bent down over him, looks of fake worry dominating their features.

* * *

**AN: I am going to beg if I have to. PLEASE don't try to correct me on Juugo and Suigetsu. I've seen very few official pictures and none of them were very well coloured, so I'll change EVERYTHING when they're in the anime and we actually know 100% what they look like. Thank you.**


	8. Numb

**AN: And I have somehow found myself falling behind on review replies again -.- I need to not procrastinate so much. Sorry...**

**Disclaimer: K. Masashi's bitches. If they were mine, Kiba would never be present. He'd be doing more... recreational things, if ya know what I mean...  
**

**

* * *

Never do tomorrow what you could have done today. Because you never know when tomorrow will be more than a day away.  
- Sarge. **

The light tapping of a keyboard reverberated throughout the large office as Shizune worked on replying to an inquiry from another doctor in Vancouver. Though her fingers tapped lightly on the keys, the computer was so old that the noise was loud, and slightly annoying. She glanced at her watch briefly before continuing with her e-mail.

Her door slamming open made her head almost hit the ceiling with fright, turning her attention away from her computer to regard who had dared enter without knocking. She sighed, shaking her head at the person in the doorway.

"Don't you have a University to run?"

"It can last ten minutes without me." Tsunade walked further into the office, leaning forward on the desk and glaring at Shizune. "Is it done yet?"

Removing glasses she wore only for reading, Shizune pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head at her friend's impatience. Apparently Sasuke wasn't the only one who wanted to know Pein's claim to Naruto's paternity.

"This isn't like putting together a puzzle, Tsunade. This is a precise science."

"So it's not done yet?"

"Of course not. I would have told you if it was. You _and_ Sasuke." She checked her watch. "It should be done shortly, just be patient. It was really hard trying to do this without anyone else finding out."

"What did you tell them?" Tsunade took a seat, relaxing back into the chair.

"I said it was a test between someone who claimed to be your relative." She smiled slightly. "I told them that Jiraiya brought in his own DNA, so as not to arrouse suspicion on why they're both male."

"Good plan." She pursed her lips together. "We could all get arrested for this, couldn't we?"

"If Naruto or his father find out and wish to press charges, then yes. But if they don't care, then we're fine." She sighed, shaking her head. "I still don't think this was right of Sasuke. He shouldn't have done this. I shouldn't have agreed to help."

"He's just worried, Shizune," Tsunade insisted. "And Sasuke isn't the only one, as far as I know, who's wary of Pein. I haven't met him yet, but I'm hoping to soon. I'd like to know why everyone who has is concerned."

Shizune didn't say anything to this, not feeling it was her place. Still, she couldn't believe she'd agreed to do this. So much was riding on this. Her career, her _freedom_, Sasuke's own young life... and Naruto's happiness. So what if the man was lying? And furthermore, what if he wasn't? Didn't Naruto deserve a small piece of happiness in his life after everything he'd been through? Sure, Sasuke was amazing, and Naruto loved him, but even the raven was a reminder of the horrible past he'd endured. He'd been present for a lot of it—or the worst of it, at least.

Checking her watch again, she figured it was time to go back downstairs to check on the results. Excusing herself, she left the office, Tsunade not bothering to argue since she knew it was "personnel only" where Shizune was going. The petite doctor made her way down the stairs and through the crowded corridor, nodding to a few people and signing off on a release form as she went. Once she reached the appropriate room, she headed towards the machine she'd been using and moved the mouse to bring up the screen.

Everyone who'd been in and out of this room had been told not to touch that particular station, and she was glad they'd all listened. Typing in a password, the screen popped up and showed the results of the test. She frowned deeply as she noticed that Sasuke had been right, and this Pein Akasaka _wasn't_ Naruto's father.

"Guess he had reason to be concerned." She clicked on Pein's name, because it was flashing—something she'd never seen before, but she wasn't often in the DNA lab, so that wasn't a surprise. It immediately linked away to another screen, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Oh my God..."

It was a CSIS screen with Pein's name flashing at the top. Except his name there wasn't Pein Akasaka, but Pein Nagato. There was no picture, and a few notes written here and there on the screen. Most of the characteristics had been left blank, to denote the fact that nobody was quite sure what he looked like. His age, height, and build were also blank. Like the man was a ghost.

But that wasn't where her eyes were focussed. They focussed simply on one word in the corner that was bolded and underlined. She ran from the room quickly, almost knocking over a nurse in the process, but not caring. She had to find a phone. She had to talk to Naruto. Or Sasuke. Or _anyone_ who would be able to get Naruto _away_ from Pein.

Because the one word at the bottom of the screen was enough to make her blood run cold.

**Akatsuki. **

* * *

Ice cold water splashed painfully against Sasuke's face, the raven's eyes snapping open as he jerked into a sitting position, the blistering cold burning against his skin. His vision was blurred; distorted. It took him a few seconds to shake his head and regain his sight. Even then, it was hard for his muddled brain to figure out what was going on.

He could see a tall, bulky man walking away from him with a bucket in his hand. Two guesses where the water he'd gotten splashed with came from. Struggling to his feet, he stood unsteadily, leaning against the wall and shaking his head again, bringing his free hand up to touch his forehead.

"I'm impressed."

His head snapped to the left as he recognized the voice, which was a bad idea as his vision swam again and his breakfast threatened to come back up the way it'd gone down.

"Pein..." Sasuke bit out, gritting his teeth in an effort to keep his food down.

"You're already standing. That's impressive, Sasuke. After the heavy dose of Librium we gave you, you'd think you'd have trouble moving at all."(1)

It didn't take a genius to know that the trouble he had moving his muscles was due to the drug. He didn't recognize the name, not that he was all that well-versed with drugs to begin with. He looked at Pein and glared angrily, clenching both his fists as he continued to use the wall for support.

"Now don't push yourself." Pein smiled pleasantly. "You wouldn't want to cause any unnecessary side-effects, now, would you?"

"You asshole!" Sasuke pushed off from the wall, intent on smashing Pein's jaw, but he tripped over his own feet and fell hard to the ground, his vision swimming in and out of focus. Fuck, his body wasn't moving how he wanted it to.

"Now, now. That was dangerous. Juugo." Sasuke looked up and saw the same guy as before heading towards him. He grabbed Sasuke, pulling him to his feet, then slammed him back hard into the wall, the raven crying out in pain and clutching at the wrist against his shirt.

"I think our little house guest needs to be tied up." Pein turned again. "Konan, I think it would be best to have more Librium around, should we need to use it on Mr. Uchiha. Suigetsu, grab some ropes from the next room."

Everyone moved as they were told, a woman with startlingly blue hair that _had_ to be dyed leaving the building through one of the doors. The light-blue-haired guy from the mall had moved to another room.

Sasuke had to wonder how much time had passed. Everything felt like it was going in slow motion, and he was having a hard time focussing. How long had he been unconscious? A few hours? A day? Two? Where was Naruto? Was he all right, or had Pein gone after him while Sasuke had been unconscious?

His brain was so fogged up that he didn't realize he was flying towards the floor until his head hit the cement. He let out a groan, crying out soon afterwards as his hands were wrenched behind his back, Juugo tying them tightly at the wrists while Suigetsu worked on linking his ankles together.

"And just because I prefer to do all the talking..." Pein nudged Sasuke onto his back once the other two were done and shoved a piece of cloth into the raven's mouth, Sasuke glaring up at him with fire and brimstone. A lesser man would have cowered under the intense glare—even as weak as it was—but Pein wasn't just any man.

"So you're the one he loves." He sat down on Sasuke's chest and grabbed the hair at the back of his head, wrenching his face up. The raven breathed hard through his nose, Pein continuing to inspect the Uchiha's flawless features.

"Well, I can certainly see what the attraction is. Shame about your habit, though." He trailed one finger up Sasuke's bandaged arm, and then back down. The raven could see red seeping through at certain places, and suspected a few of his wounds had reopened.

With a grunt, he stood up off Sasuke and brushed invisible dirt off the front of his pants, looking around at the virtually empty room. "Well, guess it's about that time." He grinned down at Sasuke. "Naruto must be wondering where you are. Might as well inform him that you're safe and sound." He pulled out his cell phone. "For now."

* * *

Naruto slammed into his unit in Fairview angrily, throwing his bag onto the ground at the top of the first flight of stairs and continuing up towards his bedroom, hoping Sasuke was napping and that his stomping would wake him up. He still hadn't forgiven him for going behind his back and trying to break up the relationship he had with his father.

Sasuke was lucky, he'd had a father up until he was who-knew-what age. Naruto had _never_ had one, and now that he did, Sasuke was acting like a jilted lover whose sole purpose in life was to be the center of Naruto's attention. And now that he had to share, he was angry.

"Fuck!" He slammed his bedroom door hard, a large crack forming in the doorframe as a few splinters fell to the ground. He winced, knowing he'd have to call someone about that. But still, it had felt fucking good to slam that door. God, he was pissed.

Why did Sasuke want to ruin one of the only good things that had ever fucking happened to him?! Sure, he wasn't paying as much attention to the raven as he used to, but that didn't mean Naruto loved him any less. Sasuke would always be the most important person to him, it's just—now he had to share the space.

He fell face-first onto his bed and screamed into his pillow in frustration, figuring that Sasuke was out, since no matter how angry they were at one another, the Uchiha would never tolerate this amount of noise. Good, maybe it was better that he was out.

Sighing, the blond rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling and contemplating Sasuke's actions. They'd already done a DNA test, so why had he felt the need to do it again? Shizune wasn't any more qualified than the last doctor who'd done it, it seemed like a waste of time. Not to mention Naruto had told him—multiple times!—that someone had been following the first process every step of the way. He wasn't completely clueless, despite what Sasuke seemed to think.

Jumping slightly as his phone vibrated in his pocket, Naruto reached into his pants and gripped the small device, pulling it out and checking the caller ID.

Sasuke.

Letting out a slow breath and trying to be the better person, he decided he would be civil, and if Sasuke apologized, he wouldn't deprive him of sex for more than a month.

Flipping the phone open, he placed it against his ear.

"What do you want, Sasuke?"

Naruto winced. _Shit, so much for being civil._

"Hello, Naruto."

The blond's head snapped back in shock. "Dad? Hey, what are you doing with Sasuke's phone?" he inquired, sitting up and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. _I swear to God, if Sasuke fucking went to bitch him out for telling me about the test, I'm gonna kick his nuts into his brain!_

"Sasuke and I are going to be spending some time together." Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "We have a lot to discuss, but I've got things to sort out beforehand, so know I'll be calling you back with more details on the situation."

"Situation?" Naruto asked slowly as he stood. "What situation?"

The house phone rang, and Naruto rushed out of the room as Pein continued to speak, the blond slamming on the answering machine button when he reached the appliance so that his father could continue speaking uninterrupted.

"It's more of a game, really. You like games, don't you, Naruto? Sasuke loves them, I can tell. He seems like the type."

"_Naruto, it's Shizune, pick up!"_ The blond's eyes shifted to the answering machine, noting how worried she sounded.

"What kind of game?" His grip tightened on his phone. His heart rate increased, though he had no idea why. His body was reacting to something his brain hadn't grasped yet.

"_Naruto! Dammit! Listen, when—when you get this, make sure you're alone or with Sasuke when you listen to the rest of this message, it's important!"_

"Oh, just a little game of faith and trust. I heard you and Sasuke had a fight yesterday." He tsked. "It's a pity. Would you like to apologize to him?"

Naruto only half-listened to Pein as another part of him focussed on what Shizune was saying.

"_Sasuke gave me DNA samples of both you and the man who claims to be your father. I cross-checked them, and someone at the other lab messed with the samples. This man is __**not**__ your father! When the samples went through, the computer actually linked off to a screen with another name, Pein Nagato. He's a wanted man! According to the information given on the site, he's been hunted by CSIS for over twenty-two years. He's the official leader of all the Akatsuki branches!"_

Naruto's blood ran cold. He couldn't even hear what Shizune was saying anymore. He didn't even know if Pein was _talking_ anymore.

His father... The man who _pretended _to be his father... It was all a lie! A fucking filthy, dirty, Goddamn lie!

"This can't be happening," Naruto whispered, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the phone tightly. "This can't be happening."

"What's the matter, _son_? Something wrong?" He could hear the sneer in that voice.

"Where's Sasuke?" He tried to compose himself, forcing his thoughts to stop racing and to remain calm so he could maybe get Sasuke back to Fairview as quickly as possible, and then call the fucking asshat CSIS agents who were _supposed_ to be fucking _watching_ him!

"He's with me. Have you forgotten about our game already?"

"I'm not much in the mood right now for games." Naruto swallowed hard, gripping the counter tightly with his other hand. "Maybe some other time. Can I—can I talk to him, please?"

"You're not very good at hiding your fear, Naruto." Pein's voice was even, and terrifying. It was like he'd suddenly turned into a completely different person. "I had someone following your boyfriend, and I found out about his little trip to the hospital. I know you're aware of who I really am. It's why I called you last night to tell you about the results. Do you honestly think I would have gotten them before Sasuke if someone had truly sent them out?"

_Fuck... Fuck! This can't be fucking happening! __**Fuck!**_

"Please... Please don't hurt Sasuke." Tears formed in Naruto's eyes at the thought of having to relive the previous year. The murders, the lies, the torture... Fuck!

"I'm not going to hurt him, Naruto. I already told you what you had to do."

"Then what?!" the blond exploded, losing his cool, breathing hard. "What?! Tell me, and I'll do it! Just don't hurt Sasuke!"

"It's simple. All you have to do in order to save his life, is play a little game. All you have to do is Follow The Leader."

Naruto panted as his hands shook, wondering what exactly that meant. Wondering how he could have been so stupid to believe this man was his father. Wondering how this could all be fucking happening to him _again_! To him and Sasuke!

Sasuke...

He'd said he hated him. Fuck, when they'd fought, he'd said that he hated Sasuke and that he should just disappear. And now Pein was going to grant that wish for him. Fuck, he had Sasuke and it was all Naruto's fault!

"I'll be sending you your instructions in the morning. It's going to be a fun game. And don't worry, I'll make sure to keep Sasuke _comfortable_ while he's in my care."

Tears were falling down Naruto's cheeks, but he didn't make a sound. He didn't want to give the sick fuck the satisfaction.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because, Naruto. You destroyed one of my most profitable branches." Pein sounded bored, now, as he began to list off the reasons. "I wanted it to be you when they said they needed another member, because I wanted to make you suffer for what happened. Your mother—falling in _love_ with that fucking _cop_! We sent her in to spy for us, to compromise his research on the deaths we were instigating, and to lead him off our trail. She was supposed to be _working_, and instead, she fell in _love_." He spat the last word as if it were like razor blades in his mouth. "She fell in love with him, and had a kid. And then, she failed her last mission. She didn't kill you, or Arashi. Deidara had to do all the dirty work, but even then, you didn't die. Testament to her betrayal, _you_ lived! So I thought once you were old enough, I could still use you. I could use you to help fund our organization, and it would have worked if you hadn't gotten friends. If you hadn't met _him_." There was a loud grunt of pain, and Naruto could only assume the redhead had just kicked Sasuke.

At least he knew he was still alive.

For now...

* * *

Pein cracked his neck, enjoying this little conversation he was having with Naruto, as well as the grunts of pain emitting from Sasuke's gagged mouth. The raven glared up at him hatefully, hands still bound behind his back, ankles tied together, and a large ball of cloth shoved between his lips. Smirking down at the raven, he continued his pacing. Suigetsu and Juugo had left the room a few minutes prior, not feeling the need to stick around to listen to his phone call.

They were probably playing cards in the next room. They seemed to do that a lot.

"Things changed," he resumed his speech. "You didn't _want_ to come to us willingly. We thought we could undo the years of brainwashing Hitomi had done, and make you hate everyone who treated you like a monster, but because of this worthless piece of shit," Pein looked down hatefully at Sasuke, pressing his boot against the other's face and pushing down hard, crushing the raven's head against the ground. "Because of him, everything was _ruined_! So I thought up another way. Go in and make you think I was your father, and leech off you like that. Make you suffer horrendously, lose everyone you care about, but even _that_ was ruined because of fucking Sasuke Uchiha!" He kicked the raven onto his back and then slammed his foot down into Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha let out a sharp cry of pain, tears springing to his eyes. His screaming intensified as Pein dug his heel further into his gut.

"So now, I'm going to see how badly you want him to live. I'm going to test you, and if I feel you deserve him back, I'll give him back to you."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Naruto whispered. "Why should I even believe you'd give him back in the first place?"

"I'm not a heartless man, Naruto." Pein pulled his foot away from Sasuke, the raven coughing and breathing hard, rolling onto his side and gasping around the cloth in his mouth. The redhead turned away from him, walking across the large expanse towards a small chair resting in the corner. "I just like to play. And just think, if you win this game, and I return him to you, think of all the other games that can follow! Maybe the next time, it'll be _you_ I take, and we can see how much _Sasuke_ loves _you_."

The raven looked at him angrily, as if promising him sweet death if he touched Naruto. Pein smirked. "Such a fiery look. I love eyes like that. Especially when I have the pleasure of taking that spark right out of them."

There was a long pause from the other end of the line, as if Naruto was considering what to do, but Pein knew he'd already won. He'd won last year when Naruto had joined Akatsuki. He was going to win this time, too, because he always got his way. And Naruto was way too easy to read.

"How long will this game last?" Naruto finally asked.

"Who knows? Few days? Few weeks? Few months?" He shrugged. "Doesn't really matter much to me. As long as it's fun, I'll keep playing."

"So this could go on forever. I might never get him back."

Sighing explosively, Pein fell down into the seat, staring at the ceiling. "Tell you what: I'll put a limit on it. I swear that he'll be back in your loving embrace before the end of this school year." He smirked. "Provided you pass all my tests, of course."

"Of course," Naruto whispered back.

"So, then. Do we have a deal? Are you going to play?"

"As if you've given me a choice."

"There's always a choice!" Pein stood up, pacing back and forth again. "That's the beauty of this situation! You can choose to let sweet little Sasuke die and get on with your life, or you can play the game and hope to save him." The raven averted his eyes when Pein looked at him. This was disgusting. Forcing Naruto to choose like this. Fuck, he should've been quicker. He should've known Pein was planning something right when he was blocked in the corridor. How could he have been so fucking _stupid_?!

"I'll play," the blond replied quietly. "But if you're going to do this to me, I have a request."

Pein's eyebrow quirked as his lips curled upwards slightly. "Oh? So soon in the game? All right, then, what's this request?"

"I'd like to tell—"

"Absolutely not," Pein interrupted, finding this whole situation maddeningly hilarious. "Those are the rules. Players play alone. No cops, no friends, no nothing. Just you, and me. And Sasuke and my associates." He grinned.

"No, I don't want to tell the cops or my friends. There's just one person I want with me, and I know you'll approve. It'll make me suffer even more, but I need him for this, _please_!"

Pein was suspicious. Someone he would approve, who would make Naruto suffer? Why would he want this person around?

"If they cause you more suffering, why would you choose to have them with you?"

"Because they'll force me to do things I don't want to do. And I need that, because no matter how much I love Sasuke, I can't push myself that hard. I don't..." His voice faltered. "I'm not... strong enough..."

Pein let out a slow, thoughtful breath, narrowing his eyes. "Who is this person you speak of?"

"He's the only Akatsuki member from the branch I destroyed who never got arrested."

* * *

Sai licked his fingers to get rid of any stray gooeyness from his doughnut as he grabbed his phone, putting it to his ear and holding it there between his shoulder and face.

"Agent Baikan."

There was a long pause, Sai frowning. There was a lot of background noise, like cars passing and people talking. Over all of that, he heard someone take a deep, shuddery breath before they spoke.

"Sai?"

"Naruto!" Sai let a ridiculously idiotic grin come over his face as he did a small dance in his chair. "Hi, how are you? Are you calling to let me know you've finally decided to drop Sasuke for me? Huh? _Huh_?" He started almost all his conversations with Naruto like this, but the next words out of the blond's mouth were not the usual response he received.

"I need your help."

Sai's cheerfulness disappeared instantly at the tone used to say those four words. He held the phone more securely in his grip as he frowned.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"You know the Akatsuki? You were never exposed as having been CSIS, right?" Naruto whispered. His voice was so low it was almost drowned out by the background noise.

"No, my role in CSIS is specifically confidential. I'm not even on any of the lower records so that if they do a general sweep, they won't find my name. Why do you ask?"

"I need you to help me."

"Naruto, what happened?" Sai's door opened and Homura walked in, but the raven held up his hand, his supervisor's words freezing in his lungs. He didn't understand why Sai looked so serious, but he figured it had to be important. Due to his position in CSIS, he didn't get many outward calls, and being his supervisor, Homura knew whatever his agent was dealing with had nothing to do with anything he'd asked of him.

"You-you can't tell anyone."

"I can't make that promise, you _know_ I can't."

"_Please_! If you do, I can't—I need your help, but only you. No one else can be involved in this. I-I can't lose him."

Sai's eyes narrowed. This was sounding worse and worse by the second. "Did something happen to Sasuke?"

Homura's eyes widened immediately, recognizing the name, and he knew the person on the phone was the Uzumaki child. He rushed across the room to the second phone and silently picked it up, the line not even clicking as he took the receiver off the cradle.

"Yo-you know how we thought the Akatsuki was finished?" Naruto took a deep, shuddery breath. "It's not. I'm being punished for what I did by the _real_ leader. He-he has Sasuke. I—he wants me to do things. Things I don't think I can do alone. There's no deaths involved, he called it a game. A test of how much I want to save Sasuke."

Sai shot a glance at his boss. The other man's lips were set in a grim line. Things weren't looking good right now. Sai felt bad for betraying Naruto right off the bat, but this was important.

"He thinks I'm ex-Akatsuki, right? That's why he's letting you contact me?"

"Yeah." Naruto's voice shook. "Please, you have to help me. I can't tell anyone else, and... I need you."

"Don't worry." Sai looked up at his supervisor, who glanced at him. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

The agent hung up, as did Homura. The man picked up the phone and hit a button, obviously calling his secretary. "Notify the team, we're having a meeting." He hung up and pointed at Sai. "Briefing room, now."

The raven did as he was told. He already knew what his job would be, and he was glad he'd be able to help Naruto. The blond had suffered enough, he didn't need this, too.

* * *

Naruto listened to the dial tone as it buzzed in his ear, the phone clicking after another minute or so to indicate his time had run out. Slowly, he hung the payphone back up and leaned his forehead against it.

He hadn't trusted his unit enough to have this conversation there, especially when it came to something as sensitive as Sai being in CSIS. He didn't know if his phone was tapped, or his house and clothes were bugged. He wasn't willing to risk it.

So, once he'd gotten off the phone with Pein, he'd run next door to Neji's place—since he knew the Hyuuga was home, at least—and asked to borrow some clothes. Neji hadn't asked any questions, but it was clear he was wondering why Naruto wanted clothing when he clearly had enough of his own. Naruto had been grateful for his silence.

He'd changed in their unit, shoving his own clothes into the bathtub and turning on the water. If anything electric had been on his clothes, they were fried, now. Once he'd been dressed, he'd jumped into shoes he'd found at the door, not caring whose they were, and then had run out of the house. It wasn't until he was halfway to the Village that he realized he had no bus pass, and no money, so he'd veered left to head towards the professors.

Knowing Kakashi—and especially Yamato—would ask questions, he instead went to see Gai, asking to borrow some change for the bus. It had taken him a while to get what he wanted, Gai being as hospitable and boisterous as ever, but he'd finally gotten what he came for and rushed out of the house.

Taking the first bus that passed, he headed down Broadway and stopped at the corner of Alma, where he knew a set of pay phones were located. Once there, he'd used the rest of his change to call CSIS, already having known Sai's number by heart due to the numerous phone calls he'd both given and received.

Now that he was done talking to him, he didn't feel any better. What was he supposed to do? Just go home and wait for Pein to start whatever game it was they were going to be playing? And what kind of game could this possibly be, anyway?

His mind drifted sickeningly to the _Saw _movies that had been popular the last few years, and wondered if things like that were going to show up in this twisted little game. "Saw off your foot to save Sasuke's own." He shuddered at the thought.

"Hey."

Naruto screamed and jerked away from the hand touching his shoulder. The girl behind him held up both of hers as she let out her own shout.

"Whoa! Calm down! Shit! I was just—are you okay? You've just been standing here for a while, and I got concerned, and..."

Mumbling an apology, he turned and walked away quickly, clenching and unclenching his fists as he struggled to keep his thoughts from drifting back towards the game. The only game he felt like playing right now, was the one where you only lost if you thought about it. Whatever game Pein was planning... fuck, and he made it sound so _innocent_, too. Follow the Leader? Fuck.

The blond felt numb as he climbed back on the bus to head home, resting his forehead against the window as the scenery passed quickly. Every time the bus stopped, Naruto felt his stomach turn over, as if he might throw up. His last words to Sasuke echoed in his head, each time a stabbing reminder of what he'd done.

Did Sasuke know he hadn't meant it? What if the Uchiha died truly believing Naruto hated him? What if Naruto—what if he couldn't save him?

His hand came up to cover his mouth in an attempt not to burst into loud sobby tears. He'd told Sasuke he hated him because he'd demanded another DNA test to be done. And he'd been right all along. He'd been right about Pein, about him not being trustworthy, about how something was _wrong_ with his story. And he'd been right not to trust the person Naruto had sent to follow the results; probably someone Pein had in his pocket. Naruto should've been smart, like Sasuke. He should've sent the results to Shizune. He should have trusted Sasuke more.

"Fuck, I'm sorry..."

"Were you talking to me?" He turned, startled, and noticed someone had sat down beside him on the bus. He hadn't even noticed.

"No." He turned away again, clenching his fists.

They reached the campus bus loop soon after that, Naruto remaining in his seat until the driver told him it was time to get off. He did so numbly, struggling to keep himself composed. He walked past the Village, ignoring the few stares he received from people. They whispered and scrambled out of his way, but did nothing more.

It took him a while to realize why. It seemed like years ago that his face had been plastered all over televisions, calling him a murderer. And now, he was more scared than anything else that he _would_ be one. If he couldn't save Sasuke...

"Hey, Naruto! Where you been?"

He'd reached Fairview without even realizing he'd been walking in that direction. On his way out, his brain had been focussed on contacting Sai. Now, his brain could only think of Sasuke. What were they doing to him now? Was he all right? Was he even still alive? How did he know they hadn't just recorded him grunting a few times? How did he even know the grunts _were_ Sasuke? Anyone could grunt, it wasn't like the Uchiha sounded particularly unique in his grunts.

"Naruto?" The blond ignored Kiba as he headed for his door. "Um, dude? We were just thinking of ordering Chinese and kicking back to watch a movie, want to co—" The door slammed in Kiba's face, the brunet making a small 'o' with his lips. "I'll take that as a no..."

Naruto leaned back against the door, sinking to the ground and burying his face in his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around them. He couldn't think of anything else to do, and he didn't trust himself to be around the others right now. What if he slipped up? No, safer to just sit here, on the floor, until Sai arrived.

When the agent got there... he would know what to do. All Naruto had to do was wait. It was all he _could_ do.

* * *

**(1) All the information I got regarding Librium (which is a sedative) came from here: http : // en . wikipedia . org / wiki / A-Poxide  (Remove spaces) You know, if anyone's interested in reading up on it :P**


	9. Keep It Together

**AN: I've made an executive decision. Reviews WILL be replied to... once the fic is finished. Because I'm procrastinating writing because of replying to reviews, and then it makes me feel bad, but not replying makes me feel bad, so really, it's a vicious cycle. So, I write, I finish FTL, I reply to reviews -nod nod- This is the master plan. So when chapter... say, 25 (don't think it'll be that long, but whatever) is out and you suddenly get a review reply from chapter 6, THAT'S WHY! lol **

**Disclaimer: Kiba spoke to K. Masashi... Why do I call him that? -just occurred to self- I've always called him that, right? Why do I call him that?! -lost train of thought- Uh... Well, this is the disclaimer now cause my stupid Kiba one suddenly flew away... Enjoy.**

**ALSO! I have a poll on my front page... Please satisfy my curiosity?  
**

* * *

Tsunade's car almost hit another parked one as she slammed on the brakes, leaping out of it without bothering to turn off the engine or close the door. She ran towards Naruto's unit, climbing the stairs to his door two at a time and then banging on it loudly.

"Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki, open this door right now! Naruto!"

"Shut up! Shut up and leave me alone!"

The president couldn't help but heave a giant sigh of relief as she heard the boy's voice. She rested her forehead against the door, closing her eyes. He was all right. Thank God. Thank _God_.

"Naruto, are you all right?"

"No! Go away!" He sounded like he was crying.

"Please let me in."

"No!"

She noticed one of the other suite doors open, and saw Gaara stick his head out. The second he saw Tsunade, he nodded once, then closed the door again. She idly wondered why the redhead was in Kiba's suite, but figured maybe they were all convening. That was what they always did last year when they were concerned for Naruto, after all.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry he's not your father, but he's dangerous. Please, let me in."

"He's not here!"

"All right." She closed her eyes. She could understand why he didn't want to see anyone. "All right. Where's Sasuke?"

"Out! He knows!" He sounded almost hysterical when he answered this one. She winced.

"You should call Sai, and CS—"

"I have! He's coming!"

_Well, that's good, at least._ That meant she didn't have to call. If Sai knew, chances were he was on his way down right now. That was good. It meant Naruto would be safe. Sasuke was probably headed home right now to make sure the blond was safe, too. She shouldn't have worried.

Well, yes, she should have, but she should have known he had so many people who loved and cared about him that nothing would ever happen to him again. He was safe now. He didn't need her.

"Don't you dare open this door for anyone but Sai, do you understand me?" Her tone was harsh. "You don't open this door for _anyone_ but him."

"Fine!"

She closed her eyes. He was upset, and probably panicking. She couldn't be mad at him for how he was acting. His friends were close, and he'd probably told them. They would keep an eye on him. Sasuke was coming home, and Sai was on his way. Naruto would be fine.

All the same, Tsunade sat in her car and watched until she saw Sai arrive. Once the tall, raven-haired man stepped out of the car with a purple-haired woman, she called Shizune at the hospital, pulled out, and went home to tell Jiraiya.

* * *

Sai climbed out of Yuugao's car with a sigh, closing the door and meeting the woman at the trunk as she popped it open, pulling out one of his smaller bags. He reached in and grabbed his suitcases, closing the trunk once one of them was on the ground. He'd had to think of a reason to be there, and it made more sense for him to bring as much clothing as he had the year before.

"Make sure you're out of sight when I bring him outside."

"I know, Sai." Yuugao handed him his bag, the agent putting it over his shoulder.

"And make sure you're subtle about your sweep. If they have cameras and they see you with the equipment, they'll know you're looking for bugs, and then they'll think Naruto contacted CSIS."

"I'm kind of insulted," Yuugao informed him as they walked towards the front of the car, the woman leaning against the driver's door. "You're acting like I've never discreetly swept a house before."

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just—Naruto means a lot to me, and Sasuke means a lot to him, so in a roundabout way... Sasuke means a lot to me. Having him come back alive is of utmost importance to me. I can't—see Naruto cry. I can't."

Yuugao pressed her lips together and nodded, raking one hand through her long purple hair. She waved Sai away half-heartedly, not really knowing what else to say to him, then got into her car. Sai turned to head towards the unit Naruto currently resided in. He idly wondered if the blond would be shocked that the raven knew where he lived, since he'd never informed him, but then again, it probably wouldn't be on his mind. He had more important things to think about.

Besides, the men who'd been watching Naruto reported back to Sai, so it wasn't like it was a huge coincidence.

Climbing the steps, he could hear Kiba and Kankurou's booming voices in the suite next door, and then laughter. He winced, knowing that Naruto would never be able to laugh like that. Not with Sasuke gone.

Reaching the door, he put one of his suitcases down and knocked. It opened almost instantly, Naruto's blue eyes wild, panicked and red-rimmed, but there was pain set deep within the sapphire depths. A pain Sai was unwilling to look at for long, even though he knew there would be no escape from it.

"It's been a while, Naruto. I was surprised to receive your call."

The blond's eyebrows slowly turned down into a confused frown, and then realization hit him. He'd done the same thing, after all, going to call Sai. His place might be bugged, they would have to be careful.

"Trust me, I didn't want to see you any more than I'm sure you want to be here." His voice lacked any of the convincing venom it should have had, but the blond supposed that, if Pein was watching, it shouldn't be noticed since he was obviously distraught.

"So, where will I be staying?"

"This way." Naruto grabbed one of Sai's suitcases and led the way up towards the second floor. The agent closed the door behind himself before following. He noticed rooms to the left, center and right when he reached the top of the stairs. The left and center rooms were taken, Naruto entering the one on the right.

It wasn't hard to guess which room belonged to who. The one on the far left had an orange bedspread, and the room in the center was overflowing with dark colours. The room on the left was Naruto's.

"This is your room." Naruto put Sai's suitcase down. "Mine's across the hall."

"Excellent, thank you." Ridding his hands of his own baggage, The raven looked around slowly, making as if he was admiring his new room. He was actually sweeping the walls. He found nothing out of the ordinary, but then again, this room had been empty, so the chances of it having been bugged were slim.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, turning to Naruto. The blond stared at him for a long while, then looked at the floor.

"I don't remember."

"Well, I haven't eaten." Sai would _never_ have answered like that if he was sure there were no cameras. Naruto's expression was—agonizing. "There's a McDonalds in the Village, right? Let's go get food, I'm famished."

Naruto seemed to understand that statement for what it was: an escape from the house. Nodding, he went to his room to grab his wallet and keys. Sai descended the stairs without a word, Naruto following obediently. When they got outside, the blond locked the door.

"We only have one key between us," he whispered, his throat tight. "I can't ask Tsunade for another. I don't think it'd be good for her to know you'll be staying here."

"I'll never leave your side, anyway." Sai put a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, then led him away, glancing at Yuugao's car out of the corner of his eye. He nodded once subtly, then turned his attention back to Naruto. He didn't trust their conversation not to be overhead just yet, so he waited until they were half-way to the Village before saying anything.

"Has anyone contacted you since you called me?"

"No," Naruto replied, his eyes lowered. "I haven't... there's been nothing. I don't even—know if he's okay." He clenched his jaw, and Sai winced, looking straight ahead.

"Sasuke's tou—"

"Please," Naruto interrupted him, the raven looking at him. The blond had stopped, his eyes closed. "Please don't say his name. I can't..." He swallowed hard, his last words to Sasuke echoing in his head. He resisted the urge to cover his ears. "Please just don't say his name."

"Sorry." Sai was sincere in his apology. He stood waiting, not trusting Naruto to follow if he started walking again.

They stood silently for close to five minutes before the blond finally took a step, and he and Sai continued on towards the Village. Though he wasn't hungry, Sai ordered and paid for food at McDonalds, which he promptly shoved across the table to Naruto once they'd sat down. The blond barely took three bites of his burger, but at least he'd eaten something. That was all Sai really cared about.

"I've thought of something that's a bit of a concern to me," Naruto said in a low voice. The agent had to lean forward in order to hear him. "Shizune... She called me to tell me about Pein. Tsunade knows, as well. She came by before you did in a panic, but relaxed and left when I assured her I was fine and that you were coming. I think Jiraiya might know, too. Pein knows that Sasuke brought samples to the hospital, so he has to know that they're aware of his real identity. I'm worried for them." Naruto wrung his hands together.

Sai frowned at this thoughtfully. Pein had said Naruto could tell no one about this, so it was unlikely that he'd let the doctor live if she knew his true identity. However Pein wasn't aware of the fact that CSIS had a record on him, since he'd never been caught and his DNA had been gathered after months of effort years ago. It was possible he had no idea that Shizune knew he was actually the leader of Akatsuki, but it posed a problem for them because she wasn't _allowed_ to know. With Sasuke suddenly missing—this could really blow up in their faces.

He rubbed his forehead, recalling the technician who'd burst into their meeting earlier that day informing them that the hospital had a record of Pein. When Shizune's tests had gone through, CSIS had been notified. Too bad for the technician, they already knew, and Homura wasn't very kind in telling him to fuck off and find something useful to do.

He would have to inform his supervisor of his next move, but at this point, it was all he could think of to keep the doctor safe.

"I may know how to fix that," he informed the blond. "I can visit her—with you, if you would like to come—and explain that it was a false lead. I can say we'd been following him for the past few years with suspicions, but have since realized our assumptions were wrong and his name had been removed from our suspects list. If I say it was done sometime tomorrow morning, before we visit her, then it will explain why he was still coming up as a suspect on her records. If she shared information with Tsunade and Jiraiya, then she will inform them it was a false alarm and no harm done."

"Right," Naruto said slowly, playing with the end of his burger. "I guess it'll be easy to say Pein and I had a fight because he lied and he left town. We can say he was after my money or whatever."

"Do you think they'll pursue?" Sai was mostly concerned about whether Tsunade would let this go or not. He knew his somewhat aunt was stubborn, she wasn't going to just believe a smile and a long, convenient story. If she found out about Sasuke, everything would fall apart.

He knew from last year's experience that Naruto's friends wouldn't talk to Tsunade. None of them really ever spoke to Kakashi, either—who would be the only person to report to UBC's president should he find something seemed wrong—so all they had to do was put on a convincing show.

"What do I tell people?" Sai was snapped out of his thoughts when Naruto's low voice met his ears.

"About what?"

"About you. About—about _him_."

The agent knew 'him' was Sasuke and not Pein. Pein's story was easy: he'd lied, and then left.

"I have a story set for myself, so you don't need to worry about that." He leaned back in his chair and sighed internally as he started in on his lie. He hated having to lie to Naruto. "I told my boss I wanted some time off. After having been part of Akatsuki undercover for so long, I think he felt I deserved it. So I've taken an indefinite leave from CSIS. When people ask why I'm here, I'll tell them I wanted to come back to school because I never actually officially graduated." He smiled slightly when Naruto blinked, seeming surprised. "That's part of the lie, Naruto, I wouldn't have gotten into CSIS without a university degree."

"Oh. Right." The blond looked down again.

"This works out well, though, because since I'll be telling everyone I'm technically a first year, it will explain why I'm not in your classes."

"You won't come with me?" Naruto was looking at him again, fear in his eyes. Sai smiled sadly.

"I won't be able to go to class with you, Naruto, since I won't actually be registered for courses and Kakashi especially will notice. He's actually someone I'm a little concerned about. I would like it best if he didn't find out I was here." As impossible as he knew that was, he was hoping it might be pulled off. "He'll get suspicious the instant he sees me. He'll know something's wrong. Which will lead to aunt Tsunade finding out and then everyone will get involved, which we don't want."

"Fuck." Naruto covered his face, his shoulders shaking. Sai could tell he wasn't crying, so he could only assume he was trembling with rage. "If Pein wanted this kept so secret, he shouldn't have made it so God damn _obvious_!"

"I think this might be the first part of your game," Sai winced as he said the last word. "Seeing if you can keep Sasuke alive long enough to actually get your first task. The second this gets out, the game's over, Pein knows that. This is why we have to make sure there are no loose ends." He sighed, raking one hand through his hair. "It would be easier without me here, honestly, but I need to be with you to make this believable. They don't know I'm CSIS, and they probably don't even know that everyone else 'thought' I was Akatsuki. To them, me being here poses no threat of exposure. To us, me being here is like a giant neon sign saying something's wrong."

"Right." Naruto rubbed his face some more, then rubbed his head. "Shit, but I can't leave. I have to stay here, it's part of the rules. And I need you here, I can't... I can't be alone in this."

"I know." Sai reached across the table, grasping one of Naruto's hands tightly. "It'll be okay, Naruto. I won't let anything happen to S—to him, I promise."

"Thanks," Naruto whispered. _I just hope you can __**keep**__ that promise,_ he thought darkly.

Sadly, Sai was thinking the same thing.

The agent's phone trilled, startling them both. Retreating his hand, he reached into his pocket and flipped it open, seeing he had a new text message. He clicked it, read it, and then snapped his phone shut.

Yuugao was done. The unit was clean.

_Well, that'll certainly make things easier for us, though I'm going to have to run subtle sweeps consistently just to be sure._

"I've got some good news." Naruto frowned at those words. "Don't get mad."

"I have a feeling I'm going to get mad," the blond groaned, covering his face with his hands.

"Before I tell you what just went on, there's something about me that you need to know." Sai shifted in his seat. At least what he was telling Naruto now _wasn't_ a lie. "I'm a very paranoid person. Seeing as how I work as an undercover spy most of the time, that's understandable, right? I usually have one of my co-workers sweep my house twice a month—I ask her because that's one of her expertise; covert sweeps. She makes it look like she's robbing the place." Sai smirked slightly. "She sweeps my house twice a month, and then I usually do it one a week. Sometimes two, depends on how paranoid I'm feeling."

"You had her check the unit." Naruto wasn't a rocket scientist, but it wasn't like he was an idiot, either. "And it's not bugged."

"No, it's not." Sai smiled. "And because it's not unusual for me to ask her to sweep my house, she didn't find anything strange with doing it here, either, so she doesn't know why I asked." That part was a lie, but it was better than telling Naruto that his whole CSIS team was aware of the situation. And Sai hadn't even told anyone, either, so it wasn't even really his fault.

"That's good. It means we don't have to leave the house all the time whenever something happens." Naruto glanced at Sai. "And it means we can keep you hidden, for the most part."

Sai nodded, and then they sat in silence. The blond continued to pick at his burger, and the agent couldn't bring himself to scold Naruto into finishing it. Seeing him so dejected was painful. He looked almost worse than last year, if that was even possible.

"Just so you know," The raven straightened slightly as Naruto spoke, "I have a psychologist."

And all Sai's hopes of keeping Sasuke alive suddenly came crashing down, seeing as how that was now going to be impossible.

"You can't see him anymore."

"I have to," Naruto whispered, avoiding Sai's eyes. "Tsunade's the one who hired him. If I don't go see him, or try to cancel, he'll know something's wrong."

"Naruto, he'll take one look at you and go screaming to aunt Tsunade," the agent insisted. "Psychologists are meant to know when something's wrong, and I bet even the guy at the counter knew something was wrong." He motioned in the vague direction of the McDonalds counter.

"I can tell him Sasuke and I fought. It's believable for me to be like this if the fight was bad enough." He clenched his fists. "Sai, I can't stop seeing him, it'll just complicate things."

The agent refrained from saying that seeing him would _also_ complicate things, probably more so than if he didn't. But he understood Naruto's fear. He understood that this was going to be nearly impossible to pull off without _anyone_ finding out. But somehow, some way, he was going to bring Sasuke back to Naruto.

He _had_ to.

* * *

Sasuke stared silently at the ceiling as he leaned back against the wall, continuously banging the back of his head against the concrete behind it. He was angry, and upset, and fucking ashamed. He'd gotten caught, and now Naruto was going to suffer—which was the exact _opposite_ of what Sasuke was _trying_ to do. He was supposed to make sure Naruto _didn't_ suffer, and now he was the damn cause of it.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ The word repeated itself in his head each time it struck the wall.

He tried moving his jaw slightly, the corners of his mouth aching from being stretched for so long. Apparently these kidnappers didn't believe in duct tape.

They'd tied a piece of cloth around his mouth, pinning his tongue down and stretching the corners of his mouth painfully. His hands were still bound behind his back, but his ankles had been freed. He'd been moved to one of the back rooms of the building they were in, and since it had no windows and he'd have to go through two rooms to reach the first exit, they didn't seem too concerned with the possibility of him escaping.

Mostly because there _was_ no possibility for escape.

The door opened and Sasuke shifted his eyes to glance at who was entering, but didn't stop banging his head against the wall. It was the tall orange-haired dude, Juugo. He wasn't much of a talker, Sasuke had noticed. Suigetsu was much more annoying.

"Dinner." Juugo placed a bowl of what looked like goop, in Sasuke's opinion, on the floor near him. Then, the man leaned forward and untied the back of the gag, pulling it away. Sasuke opened and closed his mouth a few times, then rotated his jaw as best he could. It helped a little.

"Turn around."

Sasuke complied, Juugo getting to work undoing his bonds. Once he was free, the raven decided to take his chances. He elbowed the other man in the face, then kicked him in the stomach, scrambling to his feet and running towards the door.

He'd barely made it two steps before a hand wrapped around him, clenching against his throat. His feet flew out from under him and he was wrenched backwards, his back colliding painfully with the floor as he cried out.

His shout was cut short as his airways were blocked, the hand tightening. Juugo was straddling him in a second, one hand wrapped around the raven's throat, and the other gripping one of Sasuke's wrists. The Uchiha used his free hand to claw at the one around his neck, blocking his airways.

"Juugo."

Air found its way back into his lungs and Sasuke inhaled loudly, then turned onto his side and coughed, holding his throat with one hand. Juugo was standing next to him, now, looking at the door. Sasuke followed his gaze, wheezing.

Konan stood just inside the room, a bored expression on her face as she regarded the gasping teen on the floor. Her attention then shifted back to Juugo.

"Pein won't be pleased if you kill him. Go join Suigetsu in the other room, I'll take it from here."

The large man didn't say a word. He simply walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving Konan alone with Sasuke.

Though she looked much easier to overpower, Sasuke wasn't going to take any chances, not with Juugo in the other room. He wasn't ready for round two yet.

"Hurry up and eat," Konan ordered. "Pein will be back soon, and he'll want to get started."

Glaring, Sasuke stood unsteadily, making his way back to his little corner and falling to the ground. He pulled the bowl of goop towards himself and took a bite. It tasted like nothing, and it took him a second to realize it was meant to be oatmeal. Plain oatmeal. My, weren't his captors generous. Maybe he'd have to ask for someone to spit in it next time, just to get some kind of flavour.

"What happens if I die?" Sasuke inquired before taking another bite. It had been on his mind for a while. If he died, did the game end? Was Naruto safe? Because if so, he might end up pissing Juugo off more often, just to end this torture for the blond. Sasuke would sacrifice himself for Naruto, his boyfriend had suffered enough.

"Nothing."

That wasn't exactly the answer he'd been expecting.

"The game doesn't end?" Sasuke scowled.

"How would Naruto know you'd died?" Konan wasn't smirking, like Sasuke felt she should have been based on her words. He figured she wasn't one to show emotion much.

"So if someone here kills me, you lie and say I'm still alive until Naruto screws up, is that it?"

"That was the general idea," the blue-haired woman confirmed. "Though Pein is hoping for that not to happen. He'd prefer it if you didn't die before your time. Should Naruto succeed, then by May, you'll be back with him, and we can restart the process at a later date, should he so choose."

The raven felt sick. He'd only taken two bites of his dinner, but he felt ready to throw up. They were never going to stop. Ever. And he knew that if he and Naruto somehow got protection—if they weren't able to capture either of them—Pein would go for someone else.

Kiba.

Tsunade.

Sakura.

Kakashi.

Anyone that would cause either he or Naruto to react. And the game would start again. It was never going to stop. Even if he died today, tomorrow, next month, in a year... it didn't matter. For Naruto, this game was never going to stop.

"Why is he doing this?" Sasuke clenched his fists. "Why is he trying to destroy Naruto?"

"Because Naruto's existence destroyed his." For the first time since entering the room, Konan's face showed emotion. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. "He wasn't meant to be born. He's proof of Minako's betrayal towards us, and..." She trailed off, but Sasuke thought he got the gist of it.

Minako's betrayal towards _Pein_.

"If he loved her, he shouldn't have sent her out." Sasuke was about to take another bite of his food when Konan was suddenly in front of him, fisting his shirt and glaring hatefully at him.

"When Naruto messes up, Uchiha—and he will, believe me," she laughed darkly, "I'm going to make sure I'm the one who disposes of you, and we're going to film it and send it to him. I want him to feel the same kind of hate and anger towards me as I feel towards him. For making Pein feel like this. For existing, as if to remind him of what that _slut_ did!"

Sasuke found himself wondering if maybe Minako and Pein had, at one point, been married. If maybe by falling in love with Arashi and conceiving Naruto, she had broken more than just Pein's heart. Naruto's punishment seemed more personal, now. Though he'd heard the phone conversation, Konan's words seemed to confirm it more.

Pein hated Naruto because he was the son of the woman he loved, but she had loved someone else more than him.

Maybe that was why Deidara had been sent to kill her and Arashi. Maybe it didn't have to do with just her cover being blown, or the fact that a baby complicated things for them. Maybe all it really meant was that Pein had found out she loved Arashi, and he'd gotten mad.

Jealousy was a strong emotion. As was hate.

He wondered how Naruto would've felt if he learned this. He'd already forgiven his mother for everything when Deidara had admitted to killing, not only Arashi, but Minako, as well. If he learned just how big a risk she'd taken... How much she'd truly _loved_ Arashi and Naruto...

His head collided painfully with the wall, this time _not_ of his own accord. Konan stood, glaring hatefully down at him before turning on her heel and stalking back towards the door.

"Finish your dinner. Pein will be back soon."

The door slammed loudly.

* * *

Naruto hadn't slept well that night. Every time he got even remotely close to falling into REM sleep, he would have a dream of Sasuke screaming in agony, and he would wake up screaming himself.

Sai had run into his room each time, gun drawn, but by the fifth time, he'd learned it was only Naruto's own dreams causing him to scream, and he'd ended up spending the night with Naruto in the blond's bed, though the younger boy had refused to let him rest his head on his pillow.

It was pathetic, really, but every time Naruto put his head down, he could smell Sasuke. The Uchiha always used his pillow, even when Naruto was doing homework or something. Sasuke's smell—a mixture of scents he couldn't quite place, though they were _purely_ Sasuke—lingered on the pillow, and Naruto didn't want to lose it.

He'd left the room before Sai had woken up, heading down the stairs to make breakfast. He only did it because he had nothing else to do that would occupy his mind. Turning on the television, he started making the most complicated breakfast he could think of, which—sadly—was pancakes. Even with the television on, and his attempt to make breakfast from memory, it wasn't helping. Sasuke's agonized face kept appearing in his mind.

He didn't even know if it was real. If Sasuke was in pain at all. If he was even still alive...

His eyes went unfocussed as his brain lingered on that one thought. He had no proof Sasuke was alive. He didn't know anything. _Anything_.

Naruto let out a shout, jumping, when a hand closed around his. He whipped around to see Sai, the agent ignoring his outcry and moving his hand. When the blond looked down again, he clenched his jaw. He'd been in the process of pouring a dollop of batter into the frying pan. It had missed and the liquid was slowly trekking towards the fire.

"Sit down. I'll clean this up." Sai moved the blond aside, grabbing a dishtowel and quickly cleaning up the batter before it could reach the flames. He then poured a dollop into the frying pan, glancing at Naruto out of the corner of his eye.

The blond pretended not to notice, sitting down at the kitchen table and changing the channel. There was nothing interesting enough on to keep his attention, and it was frustrating him. All he could think about was Sasuke and heroin.

He shook his head viciously to dispel thoughts of the drugs. No, he didn't want them. If he took heroin right now, then he'd forget everything.

He'd forget Sasuke.

Naruto would _not_ let that happen. He was going to get Sasuke back, and everything was going to be fine. He would get him back, Sai would arrest Pein behind CSIS's back and possibly get a promotion for it, then he and Sasuke would carry on with their lives, have lost of sex, get good jobs and die fucking at ninety-five. Or maybe ninety-six, Naruto hadn't decided yet.

But it wasn't going to end like this. It _couldn't_! He'd survived through way too much! All that hate and neglect throughout middle school and high school. Getting beaten up and shot in first year. Getting unwillingly recruited into the Akatsuki and turned into a druggie in second year. No, he hadn't lived through all that to have it end now. Sasuke was going to be fine. He was going to come back!

Jumping as a plate was set in front of him, Naruto just stared at the pancake, not feeling hungry. He's mostly made them to have something to do, and for Sai to have something to eat. He wasn't interested in eating it now and then throwing it up.

"I don't care if you're not hungry." The blond looked up, wondering if Sai could read minds. "You're eating it. You barely ate any of your burger last night, and I don't even know if you had anything before then. So you're eating that if I have to sit on you and shove it down your throat."

Wincing, the blond picked up his fork and cut off a piece, shoving it into his mouth and forcing it down. He didn't want to put any syrup on it, he felt the sweetness might just make him feel even more ill.

Sai sat down across from him a few minutes later, the two of them eating in silence. The agent had put syrup on _his_ pancakes, and the mere smell was making Naruto's stomach turn over. He shoved the last piece of his pancake into his mouth and pushed his plate away, feeling ready to throw it back up. He could only hope for it to stay down.

"I think it would be best if we went to the hospital today," Sai informed him, grabbing another pancake. Naruto wanted to be mad at him for acting so calm and collected when Sasuke's life was in danger, but he knew that wasn't fair. Sai was in danger every day because of his job, he'd gotten accustomed to it. Naruto couldn't fault him for that.

"Right. It'd be best. I still haven't called Shizune or anyone since hearing the message." A cold wave of fear washed over him. "Oh my God! What if she called the cops?!"

The blond ran to the phone, dialling her number from memory and cursing colourfully as it rang. She answered on the third ring, Naruto sighing with relief before his thoughts froze. What was he going to say? What... shit!

The phone was wrenched from his hand, the blond turning to see Sai holding it against his ear, a professional look on his face.

"Hello, Shizune, it's Sai here. I'm over at Naruto's place because I received a very worried phone call from him yesterday." There was a pause as Shizune replied. "Yes, yes, everything is fine. No need to worry, it was a false alarm on our part. But I'm glad aunt Tsunade called you to tell you I was coming. I would like to discuss this matter in person, if you don't mind. It's procedure. How does your schedule look for the day?" Another pause. "You seem to be very busy. I'll try to come by around lunch time, if that's all right with you. Hope you don't mind my intruding on your meal." Shizune said something else, but Naruto couldn't figure out what based on Sai's expression. It remained unchanged, and still one-hundred percent professional. "All right, thank you. I'll make sure I'm on time, and the meeting will be brief. I'll talk to you then." He hung up.

"What did she say?"

"Tsunade called her last night after I arrived. Turns out she was outside waiting for me, but I don't think she stayed long enough to notice I had luggage." Or, he hoped she hadn't, at least, but he was sure the woman would have gotten out of her car and caused a scene if she had. So they were safe in that respect. She thought Sai was just there to keep Naruto safe.

"Are we seeing Shizune today?"

"Yes, we'll meet her around lunch time." Sai glanced at the time. "We still have three hours."

"Oh my God!" Naruto blurted out as he looked at the time. "I forgot about class!"

"Don't worry." Sai put his hand on the blond's shoulder when he was about to run back up the stairs to get ready. "I don't think you should go. We can use our visit to the hospital as an excuse."

"Right." Naruto rubbed his face. "Right, yeah. Okay. Shit." He fell back down in his chair, sighing. He was going to have to act normal, but he was finding it harder than he had last year. Maybe because last year, even though all his friends had been in danger, they hadn't been _kidnapped_.

A knock at the door caused Naruto to cry out again, and he cursed how damn jumpy he was. First the girl at the public phone, then with Sai, now this? God, he had to pull himself together!

"Yeah, I'm coming." The blond pushed out of his chair and headed for the door, Sai lingering behind to try and stay out of sight.

When Naruto opened the door, his hands came up instinctively to cover his face as fists came flying towards him. They fell onto his shoulders, and suddenly, someone was shaking him almost violently.

"Do you have _any_ idea what this is doing to my blood pressure?!"

"K-Kiba?" The blond lowered his hands, blinking. Then, the other's words sank in. "Wh-what?"

"You and Sasuke!" The brunet's hands flew into the air. "You guys are going to be the death of me! You're not even mad at _me_, and yet _I_ was the one tossing and turning all night worrying about the two of you! It was eerily quiet in here last night, it worried me! You didn't kill him, did you?"

Those words caused Naruto's face to pale. _Not yet,_ he thought, but forced himself not to answer with that. "N-No. We've, um... we're still—fighting." He licked his lips. "I'm still mad," he blurted out, remembering he was the one angry in the first place. "I'm mad. Very mad."

"Oh." Kiba scratched at one of his arms awkwardly. "He's really bummed out, you know," he whispered. "I don't know if you've seen but he..." Kiba trailed off, seeming to hesitate. "He was cutting again."

It was very hard for Naruto to keep it together. Hearing Kiba telling him this was making the fact that Sasuke was gone even harder. And—fuck! He'd been cutting! Because he was upset. Because Naruto had said he hated him. He'd wanted him to disappear. And he had. Fuck, Naruto was going to lose his mind!

_Stop talking, _he begged silently as Kiba continued to explain what had happened the day before. _Please, God, Kiba, please! Please stop talking! I can't hear this, please stop! __**Stop!**_

"What the—!" Naruto's hands were shaking, and he didn't know what had caused Kiba to say that, but he was glad. So very fucking glad and thankful. "Sai?" Well, that explained it. And he could've kissed Sai right then and there for butting in. "What—are you doing here?"

Kiba looked suspicious. His eyes stayed on Sai for far too long before flickering back to Naruto, and then towards the stairs. This wasn't good. As thankful as he was for Sai butting in, this wasn't good at all.

"I decided to take a leave from CSIS and come back to finish school," Sai replied with a kind smile. He kept his distance from Naruto, as if having him be too close would cause Kiba to be even _more_ suspicious. "I never did get a University degree, you know. I thought it'd be fun to get it." He shrugged.

"Right..." Kiba said slowly, eying him some more. "And how does Sasuke feel about that?"

_Please, fuck! Please stop saying his name!_ Naruto's hand was shaking on the doorknob. He was going to slam the door in a minute, and not because he was mad at Kiba. But because he couldn't bear to hear him keep talking so innocently like that. Talking about _Sasuke_!

"Where _is_ Sasuke?" the brunet asked when no one answered his other question. "And shouldn't you be in class, Naruto?"

The blond didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought of a reason for Sasuke's absence yet, and he didn't want to tell him about the hospital visit. He didn't want too many people to know, it would be suspicious, wouldn't it?

"Um..." He swallowed hard, his mind racing. Kiba stood waiting, his expression expectant. Waiting... He was waiting... "He, uh..." Naruto licked his lips.

"Co-op." The blond's eyes closed as relief washed over him for Sai's quick thinking. The pause, which had seemed like an eternity for him, had only been two seconds or so. The agent's quick reply made it more believable.

"Co-op? Isn't that only for Engineers?" Kiba looked confused.

"No. If other faculties want to go out and see the world, they're more than welcome to." Sai smiled pleasantly, though the brunet still didn't look like he trusted him much.

"I guess..." he replied slowly, half-wanting to tell Sai his smile was creeping him out. "How come he never said anything? I mean—last time I saw him, he didn't act like he was leaving."

"Spur of the moment," Sai continued, Naruto silently thanking him profusely. He knew it was a good idea to call him. "He wanted some time alone to clear his head because of his fight with Naruto." The agent moved closer, now, to put a hand on the blond's shoulder.

"Fair enough." Kiba nodded, and then was immediately suspicious again, glaring at Sai. "Why are you here again?"

"University. School. Degree. Better job."

"Uh huh..." he said slowly. "Naruto, can I talk to you for a second? Alone."

The blond's breath froze in his lungs and Sai squeezed his shoulder tightly, then gave him a slight push forward. If Naruto didn't do this, then Kiba would be even more suspicious than he already was.

"Sure," he forced out, exiting the unit and closing the door. Kiba moved back towards his own suite, motioning Naruto in, and then closing and leaning back against his front door.

"Naruto, I know you're mad at him, but I really hope you didn't break up with him for Sai." Kiba looked more worried than suspicious now. Naruto suspected it was because having Sasuke out of his sight made him nervous, because he couldn't look out for him. The blond understood that feeling.

"I'm not dating Sai." Naruto sat down on one of the steps, raking a hand through his hair. He had to be normal. This was important. "Sasuke and I haven't spoken since I found out he sent DNA tests to Shizune." He looked up slowly. "Pein isn't my father. He lied. He was after my money." Naruto spat the last word out hatefully. Because even now, wasn't Pein still after his money?

"Shit, man, I'm—I'm really sorry." Kiba kneeled on the step below him, resting his hand on the blond's shoulder. "I'm really sorry."

"Whatever, it's fine." Naruto shrugged the hand off. He felt guilty when he noticed Kiba wince, but he didn't want his pity for something as trivial as him not having a father. "I don't care, and even though I know the truth, I'm still mad that Sasuke went behind my back. When I came home yesterday, he was..." His voice broke. He hoped Kiba hadn't noticed. He couldn't tell whether he had or not. "He was already gone. He left me a note, saying he'd left for co-op, and he was upset and confused, and he was sorry. He left his phone here." Naruto figured he should lie about that now, so he didn't have to later when no one could reach him on his cell phone. Not to mention Pein might actually answer...

"Fucking stubborn ass," Kiba grunted. "Probably won't answer e-mails, will he?"

"No, I don't believe he has internet." Naruto wasn't lying now.

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Sometime near the end of the school year." _I hope._

"You won't... have moved on then, will you?" Kiba winced as he asked this, and Naruto was suddenly overwhelmed by Kiba's care towards him and Sasuke.

He'd always been close with the brunet, even in first year. He'd been Naruto's first real friend, and as time had passed, he'd gotten so involved with Sasuke that he'd almost forgotten just how important Kiba was. How much he did for him, and for the Uchiha. How much he cared. How badly he wanted them to stay together, always. To be happy. To have each other.

Naruto was about to have a breakdown right there. He was about to start bawling, hugging Kiba, telling him everything. But he couldn't do that. He had to get out.

He stood up quickly, rushing through his words to get them out and leave. "No, I won't have moved on. As angry as I am, I love Sasuke. Sai showed up this morning actually looking for _him _to ask if he could live with us; he's completely over me. He had no intention of trying to break us up. Don't worry, I won't replace Sasuke. I'm going to wait for him to get back, and then you'll walk in on us having sex, and you'll scream and wonder why you wanted him back so bad."

Naruto was at the door, now, and he pulled it open, slamming it shut behind himself and practically slamming into his own door in his haste to get back inside. He slammed it quickly, locked it, and bolted up the stairs.

"Naruto!"

He could hear Sai chasing him, but he didn't care. He reached the landing and disappeared into his room, starting to close the door but the agent shouldered into it, forcing it back open. He grabbed the blond's shoulders as Naruto started hyperventilating.

"Naruto, calm down! It's okay, everything's okay, you didn't tell him anything, right?" The blond shook his head, but his breathing didn't slow. "Then we're fine. We're all fine, nothing's wrong. You didn't say anything, so he'll be okay." He hugged Naruto tightly, running one hand soothingly through his hair. "It's okay. He'll be okay. He'll be okay, calm down."

It took almost an hour for Naruto's breathing to return to normal.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to come?" Sai asked, climbing out of Naruto's car and closing the door.

They were in front of the hospital, the agent wearing a suit to make it look like he was coming by during his own lunch break from work. They had to make this believable, after all. Naruto was just wearing normal jeans and a T-shirt, but he was wearing one of Sasuke's hoodies. Having his scent nearby seemed to keep Naruto more in control. Sai was just worried about what would happen once the scent disappeared...

"Yes. I can keep it together. I want to be here for this conversation, it's important." He clenched his fists. "And I don't want anything to happen to you. If anyone working for Pein sees you going off on your own to see Shizune, they might..." His throat clenched as he thought about it.

"All right," Sai said quickly, able to see the tension in Naruto's face. "Let's go in, then."

The blond merely nodded and they hurried inside. Sai didn't dare flash his CSIS ID anywhere, and Naruto ended up being his ticket up to seeing Shizune, since almost all the staff knew who he was, and what he meant to the doctor. They made it to her office without too much trouble.

Sai knocked once they reached her door, and she called for him to enter. She sighed, relieved, when she saw Naruto, coming around her desk and hugging him tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto," she whispered. "But I'm so glad it wasn't as bad as it could've been."

_Keep it together, _Naruto thought.

"Me, too." He forced a smile.

"Sai." She shook the man's hand and smiled warmly. "Always a pleasure seeing you. Tsunade praises you to high heaven, you know."

"She just likes to brag." The raven laughed. "Besides, we all know she loves Naruto more." He nudged the blond, who forced out a laugh. It sounded loud to him.

"I'm irresistible, what can I say?" He grinned, putting both hands behind his head.

_Keep it together._

"So, Sai," Shizune checked her watch. "Sorry this meeting needs to be fairly rushed, but I do have something coming up."

"Of course." He smiled, motioning for her to sit once more. She took her seat, picking up a fork and continuing to eat her lunch, which the agent and Naruto had interrupted. Sai sat down across from her, Naruto choosing to stay standing.

"Pein Akasaka—or Pein Nagato, as is his birth name—has been coming in and out of British Columbia numerous times a month for years. We'd always been watching him, because he'd been suspected of being a drug dealer in the past. As Akatsuki's power grew, we then began investigating him and for a long time, it was thought that he might actually be Akatsuki's true leader." He paused here, shifting in his seat. Naruto noted he looked bored, as if the entire story was a pain in the ass for him to tell. That made it more believable. "When he approached Naruto, we got concerned. Obviously, after last year, we grew even more suspicious and our director decided to play it safe and have his name flagged, just in case something ever happened where he ended up in the hospital with a knife wound or a bullet or something of the sort." He shifted again, turning to glance out the window. "We got a call from Naruto last night after he received your message." He looked back at Shizune with a small smile. "You scared the poor kid." The doctor blushed, mouthing an apology to Naruto. The blond didn't even notice. "Of course, when we got the call, we immediately apprehended him. I can't go into the details." He winked. "Classified. You understand."

"Yes, of course." She smiled.

"After an interrogation, we assessed that he wasn't the leader of Akatsuki. We told him never to contact Naruto again and had him put back on a plane to Ontario. He wasn't a threat to national security, just a crazy old man with heavy debts wanting to get Naruto's money."

"I'm so sorry." Shizune leaned forward, touching one of the blond's hands sympathetically. He forced a smile.

"It's okay. I should have known better. I look too much like dad, it was stupid of me to have believed him." _It really, really __**was**__ stupid of me._

"So, what was he truly coming to BC for?" Shizune asked, turning her attention back to Sai. "Or can you not discuss it?"

"Well, I shouldn't." Sai rubbed the back of his head, then chuckled. "But really, it's not a big deal. He had a mistress out here, and a wife back home. He kept telling them both that business was bad and that was why he kept losing money. Really, he was using it all to buy his plane tickets."

"What an asshole." Shizune scowled. "I'm glad this got caught before any real damage was done." She turned to smile at Naruto. He smiled back.

_Keep it together._

"Yes, quite." Sai stood with a grunt. "Sorry that it all blew up like this. His name was removed from the suspects list so it shouldn't pop up again." He winked. "But I appreciate your prompt response. Calling Naruto, I mean. Though in the future, you would do well to actually contact CSIS when something like that appears on your screen."

Shizune turned scarlet, and Naruto had the feeling she was resisting the urge to cover her face. "Yes, of course. How silly of me. I really should have thought of that, but I was so worried that—"

Sai held up one hand, chuckling. "No harm done, Shizune."

_Keep it together._

"You contacted Naruto, and he contacted us, so it all worked out in the end." Sai was glad she didn't assume that Pein's profile was directly linked with CSIS. Otherwise, she would have mentioned it, Naruto would have put two and two together and he would know that Sai was working with his entire team on this. That would have been disastrous.

"I'm so glad." She smiled and stood, coming around the desk to hug Naruto. "Sorry I worried you, but I'm glad this is all over and done with."

_Keep it together._

"Me too." He pulled away and forced another smile. His face was starting to hurt from all the fake smiling. "We should let you get back to work. And I've got to get back to class, too."

"Thank you for sparing us a bit of your time, Shizune." Sai shook her hand. "And be sure to pass the message along to aunt Tsunade and uncle Jiraiya."

"Oh, of course." Shizune looked aghast with herself. "How awful of me, I should have contacted her this morning when you called. I'll do that right now." She sat back down, starting to pick up her phone as Naruto turned to leave the office.

"Bye Shizune."

"Oh, by the way, how's Sasuke?" Naruto froze, his hand on the knob.

_Keep it together!_

"He's fine." He didn't dare turn around. "We made up. I feel bad for having gotten angry. But we're fine, now."

"I'm really glad to hear that. Tsunade was called from the university hospital about his arm yesterday morning. Did he hurt himself really badly? Should I be seeing him?"

_Keep it together!_

"No, it's not that bad. He'll be fine. He promised never to do it again. I just hope he keeps it."

"I'm sure he will." Shizune smiled, mostly at Sai since the blond still hadn't turned around. "He loves you, and he wouldn't want to hurt you."

_Keep it together!_

"Right. I'll pass along your well wishes." Naruto wrenched open the door. "Thank you, Shizune. I'll see you soon."

He strode out of the office quickly, Sai staying behind just long enough to remind her to pass the message along to Tsunade, and then he followed Naruto out. His hand fell onto the blond's shoulder and gripped it hard. When he was about to turn to head towards the elevators, Sai turned him in another direction and threw open the stairwell door.

"Stairs are faster."

_Keep it together._

"We're almost there."

_Keep it together._

He pushed through the door to the first floor, his hand still gripping Naruto's shoulder painfully hard. It was helping a little.

Sai nodded to the guard, giving him a smile as they passed him, probably to reassure him that Naruto was fine. They went through the doors and across the parking lot, Sai forcing their pace to remain even and normal even though Naruto wanted to bolt towards his car as fast as he could.

_Keep it together._

He didn't know if Shizune could see him from here. What side of the building was her office on, anyway?

_Keep it together._

The door opened and he got in, Sai appearing beside him a second later. He didn't even remember hearing his door close. The engine roared to life and the agent peeled out of the parking lot and into traffic.

Immediately, the blond's mask fell and he covered his face with his hands, feeling his entire body trembling. He didn't cry or hyperventilate this time. That was good. He was getting better and it had only been one day. Maybe he could actually pull this off.

"I'm glad you remembered," Sai whispered. "About not telling her Sasuke was at co-op. She would have told aunt Tsunade, and then she would have checked her files. You can't lie as easily if there's no paper trail proving he left."

Naruto didn't answer. He didn't think Sai was expecting one, anyway. He was glad he'd remembered, himself. He'd almost blurted out 'co-op' and then left the room. That would have been really bad. This way, everything was settled.

He had visited Kakashi earlier that morning to tell him about his fight with Sasuke and how the raven had left for co-op. He'd even told Kakashi to e-mail Sasuke as soon as possible so he could maybe catch him before he no longer had internet access. Naruto wasn't Sasuke, but he knew enough about him—including his email password—to be able to pull off a half-assed reply. Just anything to keep Kakashi from asking Tsunade where Sasuke was, and anything to stop Tsunade from looking into his files about co-op.

Kakashi didn't know Sai was living with him, and as long as Naruto made sure never to miss class again, none of his friends would need to mention it—he hoped.

They might actually be able to pull this off.

They reached Fairview a few minutes later, Sai parking the car and helping Naruto out. He had one hand on the blond's shoulder again, leading him back towards the unit. Once they were inside, he sat Naruto down and sighed, bending down in front of him.

"I'm gonna make you something to eat, okay?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You're going to eat anyway." Sai moved one hand, holding Naruto's cheek and caressing it gently with his thumb. "You did well today. You should be proud of yourself." He stood, kissing Naruto's forehead as he did so, and moved into the kitchen.

The blond would have been horrified that Sai had done what he did, except he knew the difference between attraction and concern. Sai was his friend, and even if he loved him, he wasn't trying to move in on him at the moment. He knew that Naruto needed him, he wasn't going to try and come between him and Sasuke right now.

So instead, Naruto took the gesture for what it was: loving concern. And he was glad. It made him feel somewhat better, if only minutely. Well... Microscopically.

This time, the blond didn't shout when someone knocked at the door. Good. He was learning. He stood up to answer it, pulling open the door to find someone he didn't recognize looking in at him.

"Hiya." The boy grinned widely. "I'm Suigetsu. I'll be your messenger for the duration of our game." He held up a DVD, his grin widening. "Welcome to task number one."

**

* * *

**

**AN: This chapter hurt my brain -headdesk- So. Much. Plot. So. Many. Ways. For. Sasuke. To. Die. Need. To. Keep. It. Together. (Like Naruto XD) But no, seriously... this chapter was hard. If anyone finds any loopholes I missed, please let me know... So I can cry myself to sleep and then try and find a way to fix it. It was hard -whines-  
**

**Also, anyone who doesn't know what co-op is, this is me expressing my laziness to explain it: Follow link. http: / / en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Co-op**


	10. Best Friend

**AN: -headdesk headdesk headdesk headdesk- I quit -whines- It's too hard.**

**Disclaimer: ... Yeah, I got nothing. They're K. Masashi's, and the guy don't share :(**

**Also, poll on front page? Plx?  
**

* * *

Naruto was staring at the boy in front of him, unable to move except to clench his fist tightly around the doorknob. This person knew where Sasuke was. He knew how to find him, whether he was all right, if he was even still alive.

Just as the blond was about to do something he'd regret, Sai pushed in front of him. He was thankful. So fucking thankful!

"Hi." Sai smiled pleasantly. "I'm Sai." He held a hand out, Suigetsu taking it and shaking it.

"You're the guy who got away, right?"

"Yes sir." Sai smirked. "And nobody but Naruto even knew I was Akatsuki. He didn't dare tell anyone when I escaped because he knew I'd come for him, didn't you?" He turned to smirk at the blond, who just nodded numbly.

"Well, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do." Suigetsu chuckled. "I love these games Pein plays. They're pretty entertaining." He moved into the unit, Sai closing the door and looking at Naruto worriedly before following the blue-haired man towards the living room.

The blond forced his legs to move. He climbed the stairs and entered the living room where Suigetsu was now seated on the couch. Sai was fiddling with the DVD player to get everything started.

"So," Naruto looked at the man seated on the couch, but he wasn't talking to him. "Weren't you the one who was all over Deidara about the kid?"

"Orochimaru was taking things too far," Sai explained. "People were noticing and asking questions."

"And you fell for him, too, didn't you?" Suigetsu's eyes flickered towards Naruto, looking him up and down.

"Wouldn't you have?" Sai stood and smirked. "He's gorgeous, you can't deny that, even if you're straight."

"I am, and you're right." He turned to grin at Sai when the raven plopped down beside him, as if they were old friends. "He's pretty easy on the eyes."

_Sai's good at this,_ Naruto realized. First with Shizune, and now with this guy. Sai was really good. Then again, this was his job, right? Being a spy? Fitting in? It made sense.

"Come on and join us, Naruto." Suigetsu snickered. "You're gonna want to sit down."

He took the empty seat by the window, clenching his fists in preparation for what was coming. Sai shot him a glance, and then started the movie.

There was static at first, and then a brightly lit room suddenly came on the screen. Naruto's heart leapt into his throat and his fists clenched tighter.

Sasuke was alive.

Pein was sitting on his back, the Uchiha face down on the floor. The blond could see him breathing—with difficulty—and he shifted uncomfortably under the redheaded man. His hands were bound, and he was gagged, his face turned to the side and away from the camera, which was facing the top of the raven's head.

"_Hello, Naruto. Congratulations on keeping everyone happy. I don't know what you said to them, but so far, no one's reported Sasuke missing. You did well." _Pein reached down then, grabbing Sasuke by the hair and wrenching his head up. Naruto inhaled shakily when the raven's pain-filled eyes met the camera.

"_Say hi, Sasuke." _The redhead shook the raven's head slightly then let it drop back down. Sasuke groaned. _"He's pretty cute. Almost makes me wish I was gay. Then again, a hole is a hole, right? I wonder who bottomed between the two of you. Based on his protectiveness I'd be more inclined to believe he was a top. He seems a little too proud to allow someone like __**you**__ to top him."_ Naruto forced himself to ignore his words as the redhead shifted on top of Sasuke. _"As you can see, we're taking very good care of him. Kid's a handful, though. I should've taken you and had __**him**__ do these tasks."_

Pein was suddenly unseated as Sasuke rolled to the side, the older man catching himself, rolling Sasuke all the way around onto his back, and then smacking him hard across the face. It made Naruto jump, and the sound echoed in his head.

"_See what I mean? Pain in the ass!" _Pein stood up and kicked Sasuke in the ribs, the raven letting out a shout around his gag. Unconcerned, the older man walked up to the camera, picking it up off the floor.

_No!_ Naruto's mind screamed, his body jerking slightly as he was about to leap out of his seat before his brain forced him to stay where he was._ Show him again! Show me Sasuke again!_

But he didn't. An orange-haired man walked behind Pein and bent down. He never reappeared, which suggested to Naruto that he'd taken Sasuke elsewhere.

The camera was set down on a table, Pein taking a seat in a chair and tilting his head to the side. _"Now as you can see, I've been very hospitable. I mean, he's still alive, isn't he?"_ A smile tugged at Pein's lips. Naruto wanted to break the television. _"So now it's your turn. Task number one."_ He held up one finger. _"We'll go through the rules, first. It's easier that way. Now Suigetsu—the man who brought you this DVD—is going to be our messenger. He's going to be your way to contact me, so make sure you get his number."_

Naruto's eyes shot towards Suigetsu but the man didn't look away from the screen. He was leaning back, almost bored, with one arm thrown over the back of the couch. Sai was sitting similarly, only his arms were crossed and he had lowered himself slightly in his seat. His eyes, though, were calculating. He was seeing things Naruto couldn't.

"_That being said, the most important rule in this game—and possibly the only one—is that every task you are given is done publicly."_

_Of course it is,_ Naruto thought darkly.

"_The reason for this is that Suigetsu will be recording the task from a hidden location for me to have. I like seeing my work." _Pein smirked. _"As such, there will sometimes be dates, times and locations for each task, though not necessarily. This first task, though, will have to be specific. It will happen tomorrow morning at no later than eleven am. It will be done outside your unit, right at the front door." _

Naruto swallowed hard, wondering what it could possibly be.

"_Now I wanted our first task to be fun and friendly. In light of that, I've gone over everything I know about you."_ He smiled. _"I've been watching you for a very long time, Naruto Uzumaki. And as such, I know who the most important person to you is. Aside from Sasuke, of course." _Pein stood up then, stretching. Naruto could only wrack his brain to find out who Pein meant, and what was going to happen. Fuck, he better not ask him to choose between them!

"_There is someone important to you still there. Someone you unconsciously rely on, and spend a lot of time with. This person is like an anchor for you. Even when something doesn't seem wrong to others, it does to him."_

_Him,_ Naruto thought. _Okay, it's a guy. Kakashi? Jiraiya? No, too obvious. Someone I unconsciously rely on..._

"_It's because of this that you are going to destroy everything you have with him."_ Naruto's brain stopped working as he heard these words, his stomach rolling over. He was going to lose his breakfast. _"You are going to make him loathe and despise you. I don't care how you do it, just know that I want it to be done. You are not to explain why you're doing it, because it has to be real. He can't think you're playing him, he has to __**believe**__. He was to hate you as much as he thinks you hate him." _

_Oh God, please don't make me do this!_ Naruto was leaning forward in his chair, now, gripping the arm rests tightly. Because he'd figured out who Pein meant. He knew who he was going to be hurting. And fuck, he couldn't! He couldn't do that to him! _Please, don't be him! Please, please, __**please**__!_

"_I hope your last encounter with Kiba Inuzuka was memorable, because you won't have any more memories with him."_

The screen went black.

* * *

The room was silent for a long while. Naruto was too horrified to say anything. He'd been expecting cruel, sadistic things but he hadn't expected _that_. That was _beyond_ cruel, in his opinion. If there were levels, this would have been three above cruel. Maybe even four.

And just that morning he'd been thinking of how important Kiba was to him. How close they were, how much he was there for him. How much he cared about his relationship with Sasuke, and how much he cared for Sasuke himself.

How he was Naruto's first real friend.

Did Pein know that? Did he know Kiba was his first friend? How long had he been watching? Since first year? High school? His whole life? Was that why he was making him do this? He had to know that Naruto doing this was worse than killing someone he didn't know.

Looking back on last year, if he'd been given a choice between aiding Akatsuki, and destroying his friendships, he'd have done everything exactly the same way. At the time, he didn't think he'd see things that way, but right now... Fuck, he would give anything to go and meet Orochimaru and Sasori somewhere. To help them bury someone alive.

He couldn't do this to Kiba. He fucking _couldn't_ do it!

"What happens if Kiba isn't there at the requested time?"

Naruto's head shot towards Sai angrily. How could he be acting so calm about this?! Like it was no big deal that he and Kiba weren't going to hang out anymore?! Like... Like Kiba didn't even _matter_? Like he wasn't important? Like he was just a _person_?!

Kiba wasn't _just a __**fucking**__ person_! Kiba was his friend! His best friend, as grade school as that sounded. The brunet was important to him, he was like—like family. And tomorrow... tomorrow morning at eleven... Kiba was going to be a distant memory.

"Well, I'm sure he'll cut blondie some slack if Kiba isn't around." Suigetsu was picking his nails, bored. "But it'd be best if you could convince him to be prompt. Have him think he's invited for breakfast or something, I don't know. Get creative." Suigetsu stood up, moving to the DVD player and extracting the disc.

Sai started to open his mouth to protest, but Naruto beat him to it. He hadn't even noticed the raven was about to ask something, all he cared about was keeping the disc. He wanted to see Sasuke again.

"I wanna keep it!"

"Sorry, kid, no can do." Suigetsu waved the disc almost tauntingly at him. "Can't have this just lying around for anyone to find."

Sai cursed internally, but kept his expression schooled, something only years of practice allowed him to achieve. He made like it was no big deal, because why would it be to him? But honestly, that one disc would have helped a lot in finding where Sasuke was being held.

"So, I'll be located on the roof tomorrow, with the camera. You have to make sure you're both visible as much as possible, otherwise Pein will complain." He rolled his eyes. "Guy is such a damn nag. Seriously. You'd never expect it, but he totally is. Everything has to be perfect, or whatever." He sighed, shaking his head. "And I hate heights, too."

"Right, we'll try and make sure it works out." Sai stood up. "You should give the kid your number, too." Naruto winced at being referred to as 'the kid' but tried not to let it bother him.

"Oh yeah." He turned and held his hand out to Naruto. The blond handed it over and Suigetsu entered his name and number. He then scrolled through the blond's ring tones to personalize his number. He stopped on the _Jaws_ theme song and threw it back to Naruto. The blond winced at the appropriateness of it.

"Well, see you guys tomorrow. Make sure the show's good and big, will you? I hate being bored." Suigetsu left the suite, the door closing quietly behind him.

And Naruto immediately started hyperventilating.

Sai was in front of him in an instant, holding his face in his hands. "Naruto. Naruto, listen to me, it'll be okay."

"I can't," Naruto choked out, his eyes wide as tears formed in them. "I can't, you don't understand. He's... I can't do that to him. I can't hurt him like that. He's important to me. I need him! I _need_ him!"

"I know!" Sai shouted. He only did because he had to make Naruto stop. It was hurting him to see the blond like this. "I know he's important, Naruto, but so is Sa—he, and between the two, _he's_ the one at risk the most. Kiba will forgive you, you know he will." Sai leaned forward and hugged the blond tightly, feeling him shaking. "Kiba will understand once he's back. You can tell him then, and no matter what, he'll be your friend again. He knows you better than anyone else. Even better than you know who." Sai winced, finding it was hard trying to comfort Naruto without being allowed to say Sasuke's name. "He'll forgive you."

"I don't even... How am I supposed to make him hate me when I can't think of a single bad thing to say to him?" Naruto's hands came up to clutch the back of Sai's shirt. The raven saw this as a good sign. At least he was considering how tomorrow was going to go down. That was a good step.

"You'll find things. Even if they're a lie. Even if they're things you couldn't even have begun to imagine saying to him, you'll find something." He sighed, honestly not knowing if Naruto would be able to do this.

He was scared to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't been allowed to be there.

* * *

Sai didn't sleep well that night, but only because he'd slept with Naruto, and the blond hadn't stopped tossing and turning. He even cried, and got up to get water. Six times. He understood, of course he did, but he didn't think both of them being sleep-deprived at a time like this was a good idea.

Naruto had spent all evening trying to convince Sai to let him see Kiba, but the agent knew it wasn't a good idea. If he was all chummy with Kiba now, and then an ass to him the next day, they would know something was wrong. They couldn't risk it, this had to be perfect.

Kiba would forgive him. Sai was positive. Naruto was the only one who didn't think so, but the raven was a little bit more experienced with friendships. Kiba was Naruto's first real friend, and since the blond had only had friends for the past three years, he obviously didn't understand that they weren't just come-and-go people. Sure that could be the case sometimes, but looking at how protective Kiba was... no. He was like another version of Sasuke—minus the deep rooted love and the sex.

Especially the sex.

Still, he didn't force Naruto to eat breakfast that day. He'd known the answer would be no, and he honestly wasn't sure the blond would be able to keep it down. He could only stare after him helplessly as the boy went to his first class.

It was Sai's job to make sure Kiba showed up when he was supposed to, so he knocked on the brunet's suite door at quarter past ten to tell him Naruto wanted to have a talk with him at eleven. Kiba had been suspicious when he saw Sai, but had brightened up immediately when Naruto's name had been mentioned, promising he'd be there. Sai couldn't help but smile when the door closed, because he was honestly one hundred percent positive that Kiba would forgive him.

When eleven rolled around, Sai was watching Naruto trudge home at a snail's pace from one of the upstairs windows. He ignored the knock at the door. Kiba was already there, waiting. All that was left was Naruto.

And though the blond went as slow as he could, he still made it home eventually, and found Kiba standing impatiently at his door. The brunet turned when he saw him and was about to come down the small flight of stairs before Naruto remembered Suigetsu was on the roof, and this had to be done in front of the door. He rushed up the stairs before the brunet could descend them.

"Hey, Sai said you wanted to see me." Kiba looked into Naruto's eyes, concerned. He didn't understand the blank stare he was getting. "Is everything okay? Did you hear from Sasuke or something?"

"God you talk a lot." The brunet blinked at him, then frowned.

"What?"

"Seriously, Kiba, do you _ever_ stop talking? It's all you ever do. What, do you like the sound of your own voice _that_ much?"

"Naruto, wha—"

"You're still doing it," the blond snapped, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. "I'm trying to _talk_, Kiba. Wanna shut up for a second so I can actually _do_ it?"

The brunet's head snapped back, startled, but he kept his mouth shut anyway, wondering what he might have done to suddenly set his friend off like this.

"You really need to stop butting into other people's business. It's annoying. In fact, you're just annoying _period_." Naruto snorted. "It's a wonder that Hinata can fucking _stand_ you. I mean, really, you have to be amazing in bed, cause there's no other reason she'd stick around." He looked Kiba up and down with disgust.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Kiba couldn't help himself. Naruto was seriously starting to piss him off.

"My problem, Kiba, is _you_." Naruto spat. "You're just... You have to be involved in_ everything_, don't you? I mean, my heroin problem, Sasuke's cutting, our relationship. Do you fucking _like_ the drama or something?"

"What?!" the brunet exploded, but Naruto started talking louder so that Kiba couldn't say anything more.

"You've always been relied on, right? Always conveniently there whenever I needed something, and so _fucking_ chummy with me in first year. Are you just after my money, too?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Kiba exploded. "I've never _once_ asked you for _anything_!"

"Not now, but you will," Naruto hissed. "One day, you'll look back on this and call me on all the favours I owe you! Isn't that why you decided to get close to me? To make me rely on you? To try and be someone prominent and important in my life?! Well I fucking saw through it, you fucking piece of shit!"

"Naruto, I would _never_—Do you have any idea how crazy you sound?" It looked like Kiba was trying to calm himself down, but it was hard. And it wouldn't last.

He just didn't understand. Naruto would never say things like this to him, never. Sure, he was annoying every now and then, but who wasn't? And yeah, he happened to be around when bad shit happened between him and Sasuke, but he was also around when they were having good times, even if he wished he _wasn't_ around to witness them. He didn't understand.

"I think for the first time ever I'm actually making sense," the blond spat. "I mean, really, Kiba, you had your uses, but you've pretty much been replaced, at this point."

And the brunet's anger flared right back up.

"I had my uses?" he hissed. "What the fuck does _that_ mean?!"

"It means that it was fun while it lasted, but you've outgrown your usefulness. You have nothing more to give me, other than a headache."

"What the fuck, man! I thought we were friends!"

Naruto barked out a laugh. "Seriously? You _seriously_ thought we were friends? What are you, insane? You were just a convenience, Kiba. You helped me get people to like me, but I seriously don't fucking need this anymore. Sasuke, you—I don't need you. You're just stupid, useless pieces of garbage I picked up and couldn't bring myself to put down." The blond leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "I never cared about you, Kiba. I love you about as much as I love my mother."

"I'm feeling that," Kiba spat, tears of anger forming in his eyes. "You're a fucking asshole, Naruto, you know that? I really thought I knew you, man. Guess I was wrong. Hope you enjoyed your fun while you had it." The brunet turned and slammed into his suite, his hands shaking with rage.

He barely made it up to his room before he was punching at his wall, screaming in anger. He couldn't believe this! He couldn't fucking believe Naruto had said those things! That he was just pretending to be who he was all this time. A part of him didn't _want_ to believe it. Couldn't even _comprehend_ it! How could the Naruto of the past two years have been a lie?

But as he thought about it, it made sense. Everything that had happened to him had changed him. He wasn't who he'd been at the beginning of first year. He was someone different. Someone angry, and hateful, and resentful. Someone who'd had a father and then lost him, finding out all he wanted was money. Trust was a hard thing to get these days, and apparently, Naruto had lost all the trust he'd had in everyone he knew.

Letting out another cry of rage, he fell onto his bed and punched at the mattress. He was so fucking pissed off at Naruto! He wanted to fucking rip off his head and drop-kick it across the continent. The thing that hurt the most was being compared to the fucking asshole's _mother_! Naruto fucking _hated_ the bitch because she—

Kiba blinked. Naruto had compared him to his mother.

He sat up. Why would the blond have compared him to her in such an off-handed manner?

His head turned to glance out the window towards Naruto's suite. His friend never used to mention her. Ever. Because he hated her so much.

_But he doesn't anymore..._ It took a second for the words he'd thought to even register in his head, but once they did, fear washed over him.

Something was wrong.

He didn't know if Naruto meant to tell him that. He didn't know if it had just slipped out without him meaning for it to, as if he'd unconsciously decided to give Kiba a hint, but he felt he understood. He knew why Naruto had said that, even if the blond didn't.

Something was wrong, and he couldn't tell anyone. And for some reason, he couldn't talk to Kiba. Ever.

"You stupid fucking idiot." Kiba covered his face with his hands. "Fuck, why didn't you just let me help you?"

_Damn,_ he thought sadly. _We could really use that bomb shelter right about now._

He fell backwards on the bed, staring at his ceiling. Naruto had done this, but not because he wanted to. He _had_ to, and Kiba couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like everything that had just happened was an act. There was a reason Kiba couldn't be a part of his life.

To protect him? Possible, but unlikely. He'd just tell him if that were the case. Sure, Kiba would argue, but he'd eventually give in if only to save Naruto any grief. So it was something else.

_Well, whatever it is, I'm not going to let him beat himself up over this,_ he thought as he sat up and then stood, heading for his desk. He pulled a piece of paper out of one of his binders and grabbed a pen, sitting down and scrawling out a message to his idiotic blond friend. Once he was done, he looked around. How was he going to get this to Naruto without anyone knowing?

"Well, shit..." He frowned. If it was as easy as walking next door and sliding it into the mailbox, Naruto would have done the same thing. It had to be more subtle.

His eyes fell on his science book and he got an idea. Moving to his shelf, he snatched up a book and sat back down at his desk to add another small note at the bottom. He then pulled an envelope out of his drawer, put the note inside, sealed it, and slipped the envelope between the book's pages. He then reached down and grabbed his jacket off the floor, yanking it on and hiding his book inside.

_Okay. I'm still mad at you. I am. You're an asshole, and I hate you. I do. Seriously._ Kiba took a deep breath, then stomped angrily down the stairs, knowing it would be heard through the wall next door. He kicked open the front door, then slammed it so hard behind himself one of the little windows cracked. He ignored that fact, locking the door and then disappeared down the road. He checked the time, trying to keep his angry pace, and noted he should be exactly right.

Once he passed the Village, he quickened his pace to a jog, wanting to reach his destination as quickly as possible. When he got to the teacher's quarters, he lost ten minutes trying to find the idiot professor's house until he finally spotted the name on the mailbox.

"Fina-fucking-lly," he grunted, moving to the door and banging on it. It opened seconds later, Kakashi blinking out at him confused.

"Kiba. What can I do for you?"

"I need a favour from you." He got right to the point. "Mind if I come in?"

* * *

Sai slowly opened Naruto's door, looking in and seeing the blond lying face down on his bed. He'd stopped crying, which was good, but he didn't look like he could breathe very well, and the agent hoped he wasn't trying to suffocate himself.

"Naruto, it's time for English," he said in a quiet voice.

The blond didn't move.

"I'm really sorry." He closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. "I'm sorry about Kiba, Naruto, but you have to go to class. If you don't, Kakashi will get suspicious and then Sasuke's life is more at risk than it already is. So please get up and go to class."

Naruto still didn't move.

Gritting his teeth and knowing the blond would be mad, Sai did the only thing he could do in this situation. He stomped into the room and pulled the blond off the bed. Turning around, he picked up his bag and practically hurled it at him.

"Get up and go to class! Now!"

Nothing happened, and then slowly, Naruto forced himself to sit up. He grabbed his bag, standing, and turned to Sai. His eyes were red-rimmed, but the raven was confident that the cold air outside would clear that up.

"I know that later I'm going to thank you for this. For helping me out of bed and forcing me to go to class in order to save Sasuke. But that's later." His voice broke. "Right now, I really fucking hate you for what you just did."

"Hate me all you want on your way to class."

Sai knew he didn't mean it. It was the only reason it didn't hurt. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Naruto was going through right now, but he forgave him in advance for what he'd just said. And for any other things he was going to say.

The blond shuffled out, heading slowly to class. People were grunting in annoyance and side-stepping him the whole way due to his slow pace. He couldn't bring himself to care. He only started walking faster when he neared Buchanan, trying to turn his face into a hard mask as he strode into the building. He reached his class and found most of his friends already there. Kiba was sitting in the front corner on the left, his bag on the seat beside him. Naruto chose to sit a few rows back on the opposite side.

When Kankurou entered a few seconds later, Kiba called him over and moved his bag. The other boy sat down gratefully, laughing as he slapped his friend on the back. Naruto averted his eyes, trying to look absolutely fascinated by his desk. It was made of fake wood. That was kind of cool, right?

Kakashi entered five minutes afterwards—late, as always—and started teaching the class. Naruto never looked at anyone, but he could swear he felt eyes glaring daggers at him from all over the room, and he could hear whispering. No doubt Kiba had told everyone about their fight, and now they were all going to hate him, too.

Good. That would save him any more pain if the sicko asshole who had Sasuke decided Naruto needed to destroy another one of his friendships. Couldn't destroy what he didn't have.

Class seemed agonizingly long, and once it was finally over, Kiba and Kankurou packed their things up so fast that they were gone before Naruto had even fully stood. He chanced looking up and saw Sakura shake her head disapprovingly at him before she left the room with Ino. He looked down again, getting all his things in his bag and then slinging it over his shoulder. He was heading for the door when Kakashi called him over.

"Naruto, come over here for a second."

_I really don't need this right now,_ he thought as he closed his eyes, but turned towards the professor anyway. "What is it?"

"You know, I feel like you guys are back in kindergarten or something." Kakashi sighed, handing Naruto the book Kiba had given him. "Do I need to call a time out?"

"What are you talking about?" The blond was annoyed. He didn't need this. He just wanted to go home and pretend the outside world didn't exist. Or better yet, that _he_ didn't exist. Yeah, not existing sounded nice right about now.

"You and Kiba. Your fight." Naruto blinked. "He said you guys got into a monstrous fight, and he's really fucking mad—his words, not mine—but this book is yours, and he wanted me to return it to you."

The blond frowned as he stared down at the book. It wasn't his, he had his in his bag. This was Kiba's book, why the fuck was Kiba giving him a book? Especially after their fight. What the hell was going on?

"I hope you're not going to make a habit of this. First Sasuke, now Kiba... Is everything okay?"

"It's fine, I'm just..." He raked one hand through his hair, frustrated. "People need to give me space. I'm feeling suffocated."

"Fair enough." Kakashi sighed. "Well, at least he's trying, so cut the guy some slack, will you?"

"Yeah, whatever." He turned on his heal, not even bothering to say good bye. Why bother being nice to people anymore? Pein was going to make him lose everyone, might as well start now, right?

He shouldered past people in the hall, headed for the stairs, and then remembered the book in his hand. He looked down at it, opening it and looking on the inside of the cover. It had Kiba's name written in it. The fucking brunet was an idiot. Why the fuck was he doing this?! It was just making things harder! He wanted to throw it back in the dumbass' face!

That was when he noticed the book's strange parting. There was something shoved between the pages near the middle. Before thinking about it, Naruto turned and ducked into the bathroom, turning to enter one of the stalls and hearing someone snicker from the urinals, muttering something about people taking dumps in public bathrooms. He ignored him and turned to the odd pages.

There was a letter.

Of fucking _course_ there was a letter.

Kiba was going to bitch him out in writing since he hadn't gotten enough words in while they were speaking.

Naruto felt a lump forming in his throat. He didn't want to read it. He wanted to grab it and tear it into tiny, particle-sized pieces and then dissolve the pieces into acid and then evaporate the acid, and then vacuum up the smoke and throw the vacuum into a rocket and have it launched out into space.

But because he was human, and curiosity was in their stupid nature, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the note.

_Hey, dumbass. This is __**me**__. Nice try, but I saw through it. I hope. If I'm completely, idiotically wrong, feel free to come and yell at me some more. This time I'll __**actually**__ stand there with my mouth shut and take it. If I'm __**not**__ wrong, however, then completely ignore me. Act the way you were going to before you received this note. _

_I don't know why you did it, Naruto, and as much as I wish I did, I honestly don't. All I know is that you're in trouble, and I'm somehow involved. You can't talk to me, and you had to get rid of me, that's all I could think of. Because of this, I'm going to go along with this. I'm going to act as if I didn't figure everything out. _

_When I see the others, I'm going to tell them what you said to me. I'm going to act like I hate you, like you're the biggest asshole on the planet. We won't be friends to anyone on the outside, and don't worry about having to get back to me, I understand. _

_Well... no, not really, but I know you'll explain it to me eventually. I just hope everything's okay. I take it something big happened, otherwise Sai wouldn't be here. He was kind of my first indicator, but again, not gonna say anything. Not gonna pry. Just gonna let it go and wait for everything to blow over so you can explain it to me. _

_And you owe me an apology, too. Cause that was really fucking mean! Okay, I'm done. Sorry, had to get that out. I'm a sensitive guy, all right? _

_So yeah, I won't tell anyone about what I think I found out. I'll hate you, and treat you like shit whenever you're near me. Because if this is anything like last year, having me know is a huge problem for you, and I don't want to be a problem for you, Naruto. Because I don't want you to be upset. So please... if I'm right, please trust me. Trust I won't fuck you over, because I won't. No one will know. I swear. I fucking __**swear**__. _

_Your friend (I'm serious), the protective annoyingly persistent watchdog. _

_Kiba. _

_Oh, also, I'm gonna tell Kakashi we got in a fight but the book is yours and to give it back to you. Just keep it, I'll buy another one and I wouldn't know how you could get it back to me without someone who isn't supposed to know notices, so just keep it. I hope you're okay. Seriously. I wish I could help you._

Naruto suddenly knew why Kiba was so important to him. Why he relied on him so much. Sai was right, Kiba really _did_ know him better than Sasuke did.

A part of him, though, wanted to storm to the brunet's unit and yell at him again. Make him think it was real. Make him hate him, just to keep him safe. But another part, a selfish part, wanted to just ignore him. To have him know he was right, and that they were still friends. They just couldn't look like it.

He didn't know how long he sat there warring with himself, but it was long enough that he noticed a considerable difference in lighting in the bathroom. The sun was starting to set. But by then, he'd made his decision.

He couldn't risk anyone finding the letter, and he almost wanted to burn it, but that would mean leaving the bathroom and someone possibly seeing him with it. No matter how careful, he could never be sure. Even now.

So, he sat there and ripped the letter into tiny shreds. As tiny as he could make them. Then, he stood up, turned around, and dumped them all into the toilet, flushing it. They all looked like they were gone, but he flushed it again, just for good measure.

Making sure none of the pieces had fallen onto the floor, he grabbed his bag and left the bathroom, receiving a look from a guy who'd just walked in. It was only when he was halfway down the corridor that he realized it was because it looked like he'd gone to the bathroom and hadn't washed his hands.

He suppressed a smile, if only because he didn't know who was watching. It was amazing how Kiba's perceptiveness could lift his spirits so much. He felt so much better all of a sudden.

But still, he'd had to be careful. Sai couldn't even know. _No one_ could know. It had to be a secret between him and Kiba. Just the two of them. He trusted the brunet, he _knew_ he wouldn't say anything. He would keep his word. Naruto had to do the same.

He could see his friends walking back towards the unit from the Village when he approached from another street. The group was only missing four people: Shino, Gaara, Sakura and Hinata. Naruto assumed they were still in class.

It was Shikamaru who noticed him first, and though he didn't look all that hateful towards him, or even disapproving, he still made an effort to appear as though he didn't notice Naruto was there. The blond supposed he just didn't want to get caught in the middle of any drama, which was understandable.

Once the spiky-haired teen spotted him, though, it was like Kiba knew, and his head turned instinctively. Their eyes met, and the brunet glared at him. Good, he was keeping his end of the deal.

That was the only reason Naruto did what he did next. He faked missing a step and dropped the book. Making sure it landed properly so that the pages hit the pavement, he bent down and picked it up by the spine, making it very, _very_ clear to Kiba that the letter was gone.

Then, he tucked the book under his arm, and turned down another street to take an alternate route home.


	11. Protective Problem

**AN: I meant to have this up HOURS ago... but then I got distracted by, you know, New Year's (Happy New Year, btw... well, right now for everyone on my half of the world, and then tomorrow for everyone on the other side XD). After New Year's... I got distracted by vampiric goodness in way of a TV show. I love vampires -drools- And... you guys don't need my life story, most of you skip this anyway. So... enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I am a loser and want to return to my vampire TV show so nothing remotely imaginative. They're K. Masashi's.  
**

* * *

Sasuke let out a startled cry as a bucket of ice cold water was splashed on him. He shook his head as he sat up, his hair sticking to his face, and then looked at the person responsible. Juugo. Figures. Well, there went sleeping.

"Pein's back. Behave."

_Sure, sure,_ Sasuke thought with a grunt, averting his eyes. He had to wonder where Pein always went since he "came back" a lot. A sick feeling in the pit of Sasuke's stomach made him think the redhead might be off spying on Naruto.

Sasuke jumped as a bowl of oatmeal was dropped beside him, glaring up at Juugo annoyed. Luckily, the bowl was made of plastic, but the impact made a lot of the food inside splatter on the raven's pants. Nice.

"Eat." Juugo yanked the gag off and then leaned over Sasuke to undo the ropes. Then he turned and walked away.

Sasuke resisted the urge to stick his tongue out after him, pulling the bowl closer and taking a bite. Just like the last few times he'd eaten here, it was tasteless. He wondered if maybe they were on some kind of budget. He hoped they were eating the same shit as him, though he supposed he shouldn't complain. At least they were feeding him. Could do with more damn bathroom breaks, though.

He was only half done when the door opened and Pein walked in. The raven winced when he approached, and bent down in front of him. The older man took Sasuke's chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned his head to the side slightly, as if admiring his work.

"Nice bruise." Pein smiled. Sasuke just scowled. "I didn't know one hard smack to the face would leave such a prominent mark. Must be the pale skin, brings out the blood more." He straightened, looking at the raven's bowl of food. "Well, even though you're not done, I wanna show you something. Come on." He grabbed Sasuke's arm and started to yank him up.

The raven pulled his arm free with a glare and stood up himself. Pein seemed amused. Sasuke didn't find anything remotely funny. But, he followed the redhead out of the room anyway, shooting a glance at Juugo as they passed him.

"Here we are." Sasuke let out a startled shout as he was pushed into a chair. Someone was behind him instantly, tying his wrists together. He grunted at the discomfort, but honestly, he felt like he was getting used to it. "And to make sure you don't interrupt," Pein muttered as he returned the gag to its proper location, Sasuke glaring at him the whole time.

"It's ready." The boy's eyes flickered past Pein to see Konan standing up. She'd been bent down in front of a television, and as she moved, he saw the DVD player. This didn't bode well. He could only assume it was Naruto's first task—something which he still wasn't aware of. He'd gotten dragged from the room before Pein had gotten that far in his first video.

"Excellent." Pein turned to Sasuke, smiling sadistically. "Now, you be good, or I'll turn the movie off." He pinched the Uchiha's cheek, and then slapped it lightly. It wasn't soft enough that the raven barely felt it, but not hard enough for it to have actually hurt.

Konan hit the play button, and Sasuke forced himself to watch, even though he didn't want to. The beginning was pretty boring, it just had Suigetsu shifting the camera consistently in order to get comfortable on the roof. Sasuke could tell that he was on the roof, didn't take a genius.

The second he saw Kiba, his stomach fell. _Oh shit, what did he make him do?!_ He clenched and unclenched his fists, watching with wide eyes. For a few minutes, it was just Kiba banging on their suite door, looking rather impatient.

And then Naruto appeared.

Sasuke could feel his recently eaten meal churning horrendously in his stomach as he listened to the exchange. At the far corner of his mind, he idly wondered if someone would clean him up if he threw up all over himself.

_No,_ Sasuke jerked slightly in his chair, his eyes fixed on Kiba's angry expression. _No! Kiba, fuck! Look at him! Can't you tell?! Something's wrong, he's hurting, can't you fucking __**see**__ that?! No! Fuck, no! Don't walk away from him! Kiba, don't—_

The brunet's suite door slammed. The video cut out only after Naruto had entered his own unit. Static appeared on the screen, and then it went black as someone behind him turned the television off.

"Wasn't that wonderful?" Pein sighed whimsically. "By the time he gets you back—provided he does—he won't even _want_ you back." He was leaning forward now, his lips brushing against Sasuke's ear as he stood behind him. "He'll have lost everything. All he'll have left is you, but really, Sasuke... Are you _really_ enough?"

_No, _the raven thought as he clenched his jaw, refusing to let Pein see how hard it had been to watch Naruto rip apart Kiba. _No, I'm really not._

* * *

Kiba stood at his bedroom window, biting his thumbnail and looking out towards Naruto's suite. He could see the blond and Sai sitting in the kitchen, though Naruto wasn't eating. He was just staring down into his food, as if the mere thought of taking a bite was sickening him.

The brunet frowned. He'd been right in his assumptions, which was a huge relief to him—he wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, so it really had been nice to know he was right. But he wanted to know what was happening. Why Naruto was doing this. He could only assume Sasuke had gone to co-op in order for Naruto to keep him safe. The blond wouldn't risk another last year.

_What can it be, though?_ he wondered, frowning slightly. _The Akatsuki is gone, isn't it? So what else could possibly be going on? I know Naruto's a magnet for trouble, but there's no way every single bad thing on the planet would immediately get sucked towards him. What next, meteors? _

He jumped as he heard his door open and quickly turned around to make it look like he was examining his bookshelf. He cursed internally as he saw Gaara in his doorway. Hinata had been coming by to check up on him every now and then, which was fine, but Gaara was... well, he was Gaara. This was going to be hard.

"Why did Uzumaki say that to you?"

"How the fuck should I know?" he grunted, choosing a book and then falling backwards on his bed.

"I know you, Inuzuka. And I know him." Kiba cursed internally, only because he knew it was true. Gaara, he and Neji were the three 'worry about Naruto' people when Sasuke wasn't around. Because of that, they knew a lot about each other—sometimes more than he felt they should.

Of course, Gaara was good at hiding things, so it was mostly he and Neji who'd been put out in the open. Which was now a problem, since he couldn't _be_ out in the open. Gaara knew something was up, and Kiba couldn't talk about it. He would start throwing fists, if he had to.

"What is Uzumaki hiding?"

"I told you!" Kiba sat up, rage boiling in his stomach. Gaara was going to destroy everything! "I don't fucking know! He just _snapped_, okay! He fucking tore me apart and then he..." He grit his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. Then again, his anger was more convincing so maybe he shouldn't be trying to calm himself. "He's different. He's not who he used to be. Pein's lies really fucked him up."

"And instead of trying to get him back to normal, you do this?" Gaara's expression didn't change, but the sceptical tone of his voice didn't go unnoticed.

"You didn't hear what he said to me, all right?" Kiba spat. "He doesn't deserve my forgiveness. I don't care what the fuck Pein did to fuck with his head, you don't say the shit he said to me to someone you consider a friend. He can go rot in hell!"

Gaara opened his mouth to say something else, but Kankurou appeared behind him, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Leave him alone, Gaara. This is hard on him."

The redhead didn't look convinced, but he let it go, turning around to walk away. Kankurou rubbed the back of his head with a sigh as he watched him, then turned back to his friend. Kiba just stood up and started pacing angrily, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"He's just worried about you, you know," Kankurou said. "You and Naruto. He's not good with people, you know that. In his own way—he's trying to force you guys to make up."

"You know, all of you need to drop it," Kiba spat, stopping in front of his window and glaring at Kankurou. "Seriously. People fight, it happens. Friendships come and go. They start and end. Naruto and I weren't going to be friends forever."

Kiba heard his window break, and he blinked, confused. Kankurou's face slowly melted into a mask of horror, his eyes wide and his shirt splattered with red. Kiba's chest hurt. He didn't understand. What was... why did it hurt? Why was there red shit all over Kankurou's shirt and face?

"Ow..." he whispered, then his knees gave out.

"Kiba!"

* * *

"You have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry," Naruto repeated for what felt like the fiftieth time since they sat down. He wished he had a dog, that way he could just pawn the food off on him when Sai wasn't looking. All this eating was making his stomach churn. It was only a matter of time before he threw it up.

"Naruto," Sai shook his head, pushing his plate aside and folding his hands together. "I know this is hard for you, but—"

"You don't _know_." Naruto laughed slightly. "_No one_ knows! No one has any _idea_ how I feel right now. How angry, and confused, and _hurt_ I am. How much I fucking _loathe_ myself for-for everything that's happened to everyone I love. To Sasuke, to Kiba, even to _you_." His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no more words would come out.

His head was just a jumbled mixture of emotions. He couldn't stay on one thought long enough to finish it before moving on to the next. His head was a mess. Even knowing Kiba knew something was wrong, that wasn't enough.

"Naruto." He looked up at Sai. "I'm sorry. You're right, maybe I don't know how it feels, but you have to realize I understand to a degree. You're not the only one who's had to sacrifice things for others." He licked his lips. "I blew my cover for you. Years of work trying to meet Pein, and I got Danzou instead because I couldn't bear to have you suffer if Sasuke was killed." He raked a hand through his hair. "My parents disowned me when I told them I was joining CSIS. They said I was wasting my life. I've loved and lost over four people in my department, and by lost, I don't mean we broke up." Naruto winced, lowering his gaze. "I may not have gone through the same thing as you, but I understand loss. I understand you don't want this, you don't _deserve_ this. But right now, you're going to be suffering, and you need your strength to get through this." He pushed Naruto's plate closer to the blond. "And to have strength, you need to eat."

Meeting his gaze for a few seconds, Naruto then lowered it and picked up his fork. He still wasn't hungry, but he supposed he could see where Sai was coming from. And he'd never known that Sai had lost so many people. Not only his parents, but loved ones. Friends. Just like Naruto. He suddenly felt guilty for acting so selfishly. As if he was the only person on the planet with problems.

He was half-way through his plate when he heard the sirens. Both men looked up towards the window, Naruto leaving his seat when the sound got closer. What was going on? He looked outside and saw the ambulance screech to a halt in front of their section. His head snapped back. What the hell were they doing there?

Temari was suddenly outside, screaming and motioning towards her unit. Naruto's stomach dropped. Had something happened? She looked so panicked, what could have possibly gone so wrong that she looked ready to burst into hysterics?

A hand fell onto his shoulder, gripping it tightly. "I know you want to, but you can't. I'm sure it's nothing, just stay here and we'll watch."

He nodded numbly, craning his neck to try and see what was happening. One of the paramedics ran after Temari, the urgency on his face causing the blond to panic more than he felt was necessary. Maybe Kankurou had fallen down the stairs? Or Gaara was choking or something. Did any of his friends have asthma or diabetes? No, he didn't think so. Someone had probably fallen down the stairs and broken something.

The last two paramedics were getting a Gurney out of the back and rushing after their co-worker. Naruto started fidgeting, finding the wait unbearable. He wanted to go outside, to see what was wrong. To find out which one of his friends was hurt, but he knew Sai was right. He had a reputation to uphold right now. He couldn't go anywhere.

The second the Gurney came into sight, he craned his neck again, and his blood froze.

That definitely didn't look like someone fell down the stairs.

Bloody gauze was clearly visible against the tan chest as one paramedic quickly pushed the Gurney towards the ambulance, one of the other's was pushing down hard on the gauze, shouting out instructions to the last paramedic, who had jumped up into the back of the ambulance.

All of this took less than a second for Naruto to process, and he instantly turned to bolt for the door. He crashed to the floor as Sai tackled him to the ground.

"No! Let me go! Kiba's fucking hurt! He's hurt, let me go!"

"You can't!" Sai crawled up over Naruto, pulling him back when the blond managed to scramble forward slightly. "Naruto, you can't! Think of Sasuke!"

"Kiba's _dying_!" The blond was hysterical. Sai could understand, but he couldn't let him do this. He would lose Sasuke if he went outside right now. And people would hear him sooner or later. Screaming. Begging to be let go. Crying to see his friend.

He had no choice. There was nothing else he could do. "I'm sorry."

Reaching up, the agent placed two fingers against Naruto's neck, and twisted. The blond went slack instantly, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Sai sat up, sitting on Naruto's ass, and turned his head to glance outside. The ambulance was peeling out.

Sai knew enough about injuries to know that Kiba had been shot. The location of the wound and the amount of blood made it virtually impossible for anything else to have happened. The kid wasn't about to go around stabbing himself in the chest, and Sai doubted anyone in the unit would have done it. No, Kiba had been shot.

Someone was going to great lengths to make sure he was out of the picture.

"Shit." Sai pulled out his phone and speed-dialled Yuugao. "Hey, it's me. There's been an incident. I'm gonna need a favour."

* * *

Tsunade rushed through the elevator doors the second they opened, turning the corner and ignoring all the nurses who tried to stop her. She wouldn't listen to them, she had more important things to worry about.

She rounded another corner and just about collided with Shizune. The doctor started, then clenched her jaw as she saw the president's worried face.

"Is he here?"

"Yes, he was just transferred. The people at the university hospital did a good job, but he needed to be here. I'm glad they were so prompt."

"How is he?" Tsunade looked worried, and Shizune could tell she was scared the previous years were repeating themselves. This wasn't the first time Kiba had ended up in the hospital.

Sighing, Shizune lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly, gripping the brunet's file tightly in her hands. "The surgeons are working on him now, but I honestly don't know, Tsunade. It was—it looked bad. It was too close to his heart."

She heard her friend's breath falter.

"Naruto must be devastated. Where is he?"

Shizune had been dreading this question.

"He's not here," she said this so low she was hoping Tsunade would miss it.

She didn't.

"Well, why didn't someone call him?!" the president snapped angrily. Shizune winced.

"They did." She didn't want to say this. She didn't. But she had to. "They said he won't come."

"He won't—What do you _mean_ he won't come?!" Tsunade exploded, the doctor grabbing her arm and leading her away.

"I don't know, Tsunade, I was a little too preoccupied to get all the details." She led her away from the waiting room, feeling that her friend's panic would only serve to unsettle Kiba's already rattled friends. "As far as I know, he and Naruto got in a fight, and Naruto won't come. He refuses to answer his phone, but texted back telling them he knew about Kiba, and to stop calling because he wasn't going to show up."

Tsunade felt like the floor had fallen out from under her. That didn't sound like Naruto. That didn't sound like him at all. Even if he was mad at his friend, Kiba might _die_! There was absolutely no reason for him not to have come!

The president didn't even realize they were in Shizune's office until the smaller woman sat her down. The door closed and Tsunade buried her face in her hands, her entire frame shaking. What was happening? How could this possibly be real? Hitomi had been her best friend, she'd trusted Tsunade to take care of her grandson. How had Naruto suffered and changed so drastically since her death?

"Tsunade." The woman looked up, still in shock, and Shizune pressed her lips together. "I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want you to worry, but..."

"What is it?"

"I was listening to his friends." Her eyes flickered towards the door, as if to make sure it was shut. "While everything was happening, and then Naruto refused to come, I heard Shikamaru say Sai probably wasn't letting him." Tsunade blinked. "I think Sai is living with Naruto."

She didn't understand. Why would Sai be staying with Naruto? Why would Sasuke _let_ Sai stay with him and Naruto? There was no reason for her somewhat nephew to be there, he should have been at work. Protecting the world, or whatever it was he did.

Then, realization hit her.

"Oh my God..."

"Something is happening again." Shizune clenched her fists together tightly. "But like last year, he can't talk about it. The only thing I can think of for him not to have come is that it's worse than it was. He has more to lose. I don't think he doesn't _want_ to come, I think it's more like he _can't_."

"Oh my God..." Tsunade covered her mouth, feeling tears forming in her eyes as her entire frame shook. "Oh my God!"

"Tsunade," Shizune was around her desk in an instant, gripping her friend's shoulders tightly. "Tsunade, you can't tell _anyone_. You can't let on that you know something is wrong. Sai is with him, so CSIS knows. It's being handled. If he's hiding it from us, from _all_ of us, he has his reasons. Doing something rash now will only complicate things for him. We don't know what's happening, and acting on our limited knowledge will mean setting him back. He'll lose something, and we don't want that."

Tsunade didn't know what to do. She couldn't just let it go, she couldn't. But if she did anything... what did they have? Had Naruto disobeyed already? Was that why Kiba was _shot_?! Had something gone wrong, and because of that, Naruto might lose someone important to him?

No, Shizune was right. She couldn't interfere. She couldn't. She wanted to. So, _so_ badly, but she couldn't. Sai was with him, he would keep him safe. Make sure he was all right. But what about Sasuke?

Her eyes narrowed slightly. Would Sasuke be all right? If Kiba had been taken out of the picture, what did that mean for Sasuke? Had he been unavailable? Was that why they hadn't chosen him? Something was wrong with this picture, and though she promised herself not to interfere, there was no harm in talking to Sasuke, right? She did it all the time. It was normal for her to talk to him.

Just as she was deciding to call Sasuke once she got outside, there was a knock at the door. Shizune frowned and called for the person to enter. Coughing, the person complied, looking up with dark, shadowed eyes. He offered them a small smile, closing the door and coughing once again, clearing his throat.

"Hello." He said uneasily, shifting his weight. "Are you Shizune Kimeda?"

"I am." The doctor frowned.

"Ah, and you might be?" he asked Tsunade awkwardly. She glared.

"Tsunade Sannin."

Nodding, he glanced out the window of the door behind him, then faced the women once more, wringing his hands together slightly. He seemed incredibly nervous to be there.

"My name is Hayate Gekkou. I'm here to deliver a message."

* * *

Sai sat on the edge of Naruto's bed, his hands folded together and pressed against his lips. This wasn't turning out to be as easy as he'd hoped. Not that anything about this situation _was_ easy, but he hadn't expected as many complications as they'd encountered.

For the life of him, he could _not_ figure out why Kiba had been shot. Naruto had done as he'd asked. Kiba had been angry. He'd _hated_ Naruto. The raven had seen that, he'd been watching. There was nothing there to suggest the blond had broken any rules. So why had Kiba been shot?

Not to mention it seemed really counterproductive. Didn't Pein want to keep this a secret? Shooting someone standing in their own house seemed like a pretty big target on the back of Pein's head. It didn't make any sense.

Naruto's phone buzzed on the nightstand and Sai let out a slow breath, glancing at it. It was Tsunade. Again. He shot a look at Naruto. The blond was still asleep. Sai couldn't answer the phone, he couldn't let Tsunade know he was with Naruto.

A few seconds passed, and the buzzing stopped. It started up again a minute later. Then stopped. Finally, the house phone rang. Honestly, he'd been wondering how long it would take for people to remember that Sasuke and Naruto had a landline.

Ignoring it, he turned and brushed some hair away from Naruto's face. Even though he'd forced the blond into unconsciousness, he was glad. Naruto hadn't slept this soundly since Sai had arrived.

"_Sai!"_

The man blinked, turning to look out the bedroom door. Was he imagining things? Someone _had_ called his name, right?

"_Sai Baikan!"_

Yep. Someone was definitely calling his name. It sounded eerily similar to Tsunade. Why the hell was he imagining her calling his name?

"_Sai Baikan! You answer this phone __**right**__ now! I know you're there! __**Answer**__!" _

_Voicemail,_ Sai realized with a start, jerking to his feet. Shit. Tsunade knew he was there. Yuugao must've messed up when she told Hayate to visit Shizune. Shit. This was—shit!

Casting a glance at Naruto, he turned and rushed down the stairs, Tsunade cursing colourfully and insulting him, as well as constantly taking the Lord's name in vain. He sighed, then picked up the phone, holding it away from his ear. He knew she was going to start yelling.

"Let me explain."

"No!" Tsunade shouted, just like he predicted. "I understand that with you, and CSIS, things need to be kept quiet, but when my _family_ is being hurt, I have the right to know!"

He had the feeling when she said 'family' she meant Naruto more so than him. He didn't mind. It didn't really bother him.

"Tsunade, this is very delicate. I knew you would end up finding out, but I also knew that the second you did, Naruto would lose."

There was silence.

"Lose what?"

"Can you please just trust me?" Sai rubbed his face with his free hand. "This is all a very delicate process. You already know more than you should, so please, just drop it and let me handle this. If you really love him, then just—forget he exists. Right now, that's what he needs."

Sai heard something behind him and jerked around. Naruto was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs that led to the second floor. His hands were clenched tightly, and his eyes were focussed on the floor, but he didn't say anything. Sai turned away from him.

"I've got everything under control, auntie. Please trust me."

She huffed into the line, and he could tell she didn't want to be excluded. But really, she had to understand, right? Sai was doing this for Naruto's good. Not because he wanted to, but because it was _necessary_.

"Let me talk to brat number two." Sai cocked an eyebrow.

"Naruto?"

"No, he's brat number one. The stupid Uchiha who's not doing what he promised." Sai's eyes snapped towards Naruto to make sure he hadn't heard. And, of course, the blond chose that moment to look up and saw the panic in Sai's eyes. He stood.

"What is it?" he demanded. "Is Kiba all right?!"

_Shit,_ Sai winced and turned away. He shouldn't have reacted. His hand tightened on the phone. "He's not available."

"What do you mean he's not available?" Tsunade barked.

"I mean he's not available, all right!" Sai snapped. "Call us back if you have any news on Kiba. Otherwise, don't call again." He hung up and rubbed his eyes with one hand. Shit, this was falling apart and it'd only been two days.

Naruto was suddenly in front of him, gripping his shirt and breathing hard. His eyes were wide and panicked. Sai could relate. He wished he had something—anything—to tell him about Kiba. But he didn't. Hayate hadn't gotten back to him yet.

"Is he okay? What happened?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know."

"Fuck!" Naruto shoved Sai away violently, tugging at his hair. "You should've let me go!"

"You know I couldn't do that, Naruto," he whispered, wincing. "You know it would have given Pein a reason to hurt Sasuke."

_Shit!_ He'd said the other boy's name. And the reaction was instantaneous. Naruto bolted for the stairs, tearing up them so fast Sai barely had time to turn around before he could hear the other's footsteps overhead.

Naruto's phone was in his hand in a second, scrolling through his contacts and calling the name—ironically—right under Sasuke's.

"Ahoy hoy."

"Put him on."

"I'm sorry, him who?"

"Don't fuck with me!" Naruto shouted angrily. "Let me talk to Pein! Now!"

"I don't think you're in any position to make demands, Naruto." Suigetsu's playful tone was gone, replaced with one of seriousness and disapproval. "You'd do well to watch yourself."

_Fuck! Okay, calm down... calm down. You can rip the fucker's head off later. Just calm down for now._

"I apologize," he bit out through gritted teeth, ignoring Sai's presence as the other walked into his room. "Would you be so kind as to let me speak with Pein, please."

"Better." Suigetsu was definitely grinning. "Yo, boss! Blondie's on the line." He heard Suigetsu call. There was some shuffling, and then a new voice spoke.

"Hello, Naruto."

_Don't yell! Don't explode! He still has Sasuke! __**Be calm!**_

"Why?" He forced out, hearing the plastic of his phone crack as he gripped it. "Why did you shoot Kiba?"

"I didn't," Pein replied. "Juugo did."

Naruto clenched his eyes shut and inhaled sharply. Pein was trying to rile him up. To make him lose control. He couldn't. He couldn't lose control, he had to stay calm. Calm.

"Why?" He struggled to control his rage. It was hard. "You're not making this very easy for me, or for you. How am I supposed to keep this all hidden from everyone if you're going around shooting my fucking friends?!" He heard his phone crack ominously, and suspected he might need a new one.

"It's part of the game, of course. It would be too easy and boring if there weren't any small setbacks for you, don't you think? Besides, Kiba isn't your _friend_ anymore, remember?"

Naruto closed his eyes, his entire frame shaking with both anger and sadness. He honestly couldn't decide which one was more powerful right now.

"Is he dead?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe?"

Sai's hand fell on his shoulder then, and Naruto looked at him. His eyes seemed to be trying to convey some silent meaning, and he figured it would be best to drop the Kiba subject for now. Besides, after listening to Sai's one-sided conversation with Tsunade, they had bigger problems.

"If people find out about this, about what you're doing, you'll kill Sasuke but the game will also end because of it, won't it?"

"Mm, yes," Pein said. "A sad but true story. I suppose I _should_ stop going around taking out your friends."

Naruto clenched his jaw. _Calm! Remember Sasuke! Stay calm!_

"Tsunade wanted to speak to Sasuke today."

"Oh, well... that _is_ a problem, isn't it?" Pein was actually thoughtful, here. That relieved Naruto a little bit. It meant maybe he was going to get some leeway. Doubtful, but hey, a guy could hope.

"It's only been two days. If you don't want the game to end, you need to give me something. Let Sasuke call Tsunade. If he calls, you can have him say whatever you want. That he's going to be out of town, that he and I got in a fight, whatever, it doesn't matter. But if you want this game to continue... He has to call her."

"Why?" Pein was suspicious now. "Why would the game end if he didn't?"

_Shit! _Naruto hadn't been anticipating that. Honestly, the game would only be over because of Sai. His presence really _was_ fucking everything up, but he couldn't tell Pein that. He wracked his brain and finally found his answer.

"Because of last year." He hoped it sounded convincing. It was a half-truth, at the very least. "Because she's protective, and she watches me closely, now. Whenever anything looks wrong to her, she immediately contacts the authorities. I have friends in both the Mission police department and in CSIS. She'll call them without warning if she suspects anything is off."

There was a long silence on the other end, and Naruto frowned, wondering if they'd gotten cut off.

"Hello?"

"Tomorrow, you will get in your car and drive to the old building where Akatsuki used to have their base. Come alone, and be there by noon."

The line went dead.

* * *

Yuugao was sitting at her desk chewing on the end of her pen when someone knocked at her door, she looked up and called for them to come in. One of her coworkers poked her head in and grinned.

"Your fiancé is here to see you, Yuugao."

Normally, the purple-haired woman blushed, or stuttered, because she hated being teased about Hayate. This time, however, he wasn't there to see her. He was there as a favour to Sai. She nodded curtly and stood, heading out of her office and down the corridor. She got to the waiting room and Hayate stood, wearing a visitor's badge.

"Hey honey." She smiled, moving closer and ready to kiss him when he covered his mouth.

"I'm sick."

"You're always sick." She pulled his hand away and kissed him, then sat down, her husband-to-be doing the same. "So, how is he doing?"

"He was in surgery for a long time." Hayate's face was grim. "They stabilized him, but he hasn't woken up. They said he may have fallen into a coma." Yuugao winced, knowing that two years ago, Sasuke had also fallen into one. This wasn't looking good.

"But he's alive."

"For the moment. He's lucky to be, Dr. Kimeda said it was almost a miracle. The bullet was so close to his heart he should have died."

Yuugao frowned, pressing her lips together and thinking this through as calmly as she could. She had to tell Sai, of course, but she didn't want to have Naruto know more than he needed to. He would just panic unnecessarily, which would cause problems for them.

As much as she knew Sai cared about the blond, they were working. This was a job, just like any other job. And their priority, sad to say, wasn't Sasuke's safety. It was Pein's capture, or his death. Sasuke would be a necessary sacrifice if things came to that, but for the moment, she was hoping they would get through this without having to throw the Uchiha to the wolves.

Kiba was badly injured, but he wasn't dead. He was in a coma, but at least he felt no pain. He would wake up eventually—she hoped—so there was no need for Naruto to worry. All she had to tell them was that he was alive, and hadn't woken up yet. She didn't have to say he was suspected of being in a coma. Not to Naruto, anyway.

"Thank you, Hayate." She turned to smile at him. "I'm sorry for asking you to do this."

"No, it's fine. I understand." He coughed into his hand roughly before continuing. "Sorry. I understand, though. Since we're not publicly known as engaged, there's no way to link me back to CSIS. I was the only option. I'm happy I could help you." He smiled.

"Me too. Thank you." She stood up, kissing his forehead. "I need to go, I'll see you at home."

"All right." He watched her walk away before also standing to leave.

Yuugao cracked the knuckles in her hands as she approached her office. It wouldn't do to procrastinate this. For one thing, Sai would kill her, and for another, it wasn't fair to Naruto. She didn't know the kid, but she knew Sai, and he was important to her friend. So he was somewhat important to her. Kind of like Sasuke was important to Sai because of Naruto. It was strange, the human mind.

Picking up her phone, she dialled his number from memory and waited. When he answered, he sounded downright exasperated.

"Tell me you have some good news."

"Well, Inuzuka is alive." She heard the sigh of relief. "But he hasn't woken up." She winced. "Don't tell the kid, but he might be in a coma."

"I'm glad he's okay, though." Sai sounded like he was moving, and a few seconds later, she could hear wind blowing loudly into the other's mouthpiece. He was outside. "Is it confirmed he's in a coma?"

"No, they're still hoping he might wake up. According to what Hayate said, it sounds like he's lapsing back and forth between the two. He could wake up at any moment, but could also fall into it at any moment. Let's just try and be optimistic."

"Right." Sai let out a slow breath.

"How's he holding up?"

"This is shit, Yuugao." The other agent groaned, obviously sitting down. "Aunt Tsunade knows, which means the doctor probably knows, as well as Uncle Jiraiya. They don't know the full details, but they know something is wrong, and they can't find out about Sasuke. They _can't_. His friends at least don't suspect anything is wrong, so Sasuke being at co-op is believable, but if Tsunade or Jiraiya find out, we're screwed."

"Honestly, Sai... at this point, isn't it easier just to tell them?"

"No, we can't tell them." Sai rubbed his face. "It's against the rules, and if they know, then Naruto will expect one of them to go to CSIS, and he doesn't know the team is on this."

There was a long, tense silence as both of them tried to consider what to do. Telling everyone wasn't an option, but they were all slowly finding out, one by one, anyway.

"I'll talk to Homura." Yuugao said. "I'll see what he thinks. If the biggest problems are Tsunade, Jiraiya and Dr. Kimeda, we'll have to have them sent away insisting it's for their own good. At least until this all blows over."

"And the friends?"

"Well, there's only so much we can do. You'll have to find a loophole for them on your own."

Yuugao hung up, and sighed. This was turning out to be a much harder assignment than she'd anticipated.

* * *

Naruto parked his car outside the all too familiar building, looking out at it fearfully, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. He didn't know why he was here, and though he and Sai had argued for over two hours the night before, he had come alone.

The place was just as gloomy and dreary as he remembered it, and once he got out of his car, he could swear the smell of blood and death was still permeable in the air. Unlikely, it was probably just his imagination, but still. It made his stomach clench.

He walked slowly towards the door, his mind echoing back to the last time he'd been here. He could hear people shouting, and guns being fired, and Deidara... Deidara telling him about his mother. About how she wasn't who he thought she was.

Pushing open the door, he walked slowly towards the door to the left, walking down the long, narrow corridor towards the center of the building. It was a weird setup, but he knew Akatsuki had cut off the front from the back in order to ensure no one uninvited could enter.

When he was in the familiar back room, looking around slowly, he heard a gun cock and froze. A barrel pressed itself against the back of his skull, and his heart rate increased considerably.

"On your knees." It was a woman, not that it mattered much considering she had a fucking _gun_ to his _head_. Not exactly the first time he'd encountered this particular situation.

He moved slowly to make it clear he wasn't about to try anything stupid. He didn't want a hole in his head, that would be rather uncomfortable. He got on his knees, the barrel not moving from the back of his skull.

"Put your hands on your head." Naruto complied, staring straight ahead and keeping his breathing even, though his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest and run away. He heard her dialling on a cell phone behind him, and waited.

"It's me. He's here. Tell me if you can't see him on the camera, I'll make him move." There was a pause. "All right." She hung up.

"What's going on?"

"Don't ask questions. Just stay there, don't move, and I won't splatter your brains all over the concrete floor."

The blond winced at the mental image that gave him. Nice.

So, he stayed put, kneeling on the ground with his hands behind his head, having absolutely no idea what was going on. It wasn't like Pein had explained anything to him, after all. He'd just told him to show up there, and he had.

And then there was the matter of the camera. The blond shifted his eyes, trying to spot it on the wall. He couldn't, but it was obviously there if the woman mentioned it. Why was this happening? Why was he just kneeling there with a camera aimed at him.

The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed until something clicked, and he understood. This was about Sasuke. Pein was having Sasuke call Tsunade, but he needed to make sure the raven obeyed. That was why Naruto had come, alone, and was kneeling on the floor with a gun aimed at his head. Because Sasuke was watching, and if he fucked up, he was going to watch Naruto die.

* * *

Sasuke was thrown violently into a chair, the raven wincing and clutching as his arm. The wounds he'd inflicted on himself the day he'd been kidnapped had never healed, because the stupid fuckers he was with kept roughing him up and reopening the wounds.

He glared as Juugo walked away, resisting the urge to leap out of his seat and strangle the shit out of the orange-haired man. But he knew that wouldn't be a smart move. As he'd learned, Juugo was insanely strong. Sasuke was like a fly to him.

The raven jumped when something was thrown onto the table in front of him. Looking down, he saw his cell phone, and frowned. Pein moved to sit on the edge of the desk, the Uchiha glaring at him suspiciously. What was this?

"We're going to have to help your little boyfriend, because he isn't as capable as I assumed him to be." He sniffed and turned towards the television positioned in front of Sasuke. It was off. "You're going to call Tsunade Sannin. You're going to act as though you are still residing with Naruto, and the two of you are still together, but you're going away for a little while." He looked back at Sasuke. "You need a vacation from Naruto and his little friend."

_Friend? What friend?_ Sasuke frowned. Naruto had been allowed to tell someone? He had someone helping him? Who?

"You'll say you're going to... I don't know, Whistler. Or Victoria. You have a home in Victoria, don't you? Tell her you're going there."

"Whistler is better."

Pein's eyebrow twitched at Sasuke's words, as if wondering how the raven could dare to speak without permission.

"What?"

"If I say I'm going to Victoria, Kakashi will go home and I won't be there. Whistler is safer." He grit his teeth. "Safer for your little _game_."

"Hm, fair enough. Whistler, then." He picked up the remote he'd placed on his thigh and aimed it at the television, but didn't turn it on yet. "Just to make sure you don't try to give her any hints, think of what you say before speaking it. Or else."

The television turned on and Sasuke tensed when the image cleared. His hands gripped the desk tightly and it took a conscious effort for him _not_ to stand up and punch Pein across the face.

Naruto was on his knees, his hands behind his head in a room Sasuke didn't recognize. Konan was standing behind him with a gun aimed at his head. He didn't know if it was just a flicker of the camera recording this, but he could swear he saw the woman's hands shaking. As if she wanted nothing more than to "accidentally" pull the trigger.

"Just to prove this is live, go ahead and call Naruto's phone." Pein motioned Sasuke's cell. The raven grit his teeth, but did as he was told, flipping it open and dialling his number.

On the screen, Naruto jumped, and Konan bent down to grab his phone, opening it and placing it to her head. "Hello, Sasuke. This is a live feed." She turned to look at the camera, one hand holding the phone, the other still aiming the gun. "If you don't want blondie's pretty locks covered in red, don't fuck up."

She snapped the phone shut and Sasuke slowly did the same. He turned to look at Pein, the redheaded man fiddling with wires he'd pulled out of his pocket. He held his hand out for the phone, and Sasuke handed it to him. After plugging one of the wires in, he put on a pair of headphones, and handed the phone back.

"Go ahead and call her. I'm listening, so be careful."

Clenching his jaw, the Uchiha complied, scrolling through his contacts for Tsunade's office number. Once it was ringing, his eyes focussed back on the screen in front of him. Fuck, he missed Naruto. Seeing him again was hard. He wanted to go home, to hug him. Hold him and tell him everything was okay, and they were both fine.

Tsunade answered, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I heard you wanted to chat, old lady."

"Sasuke!" She sounded furious. "Well it certainly _took_ you long enough to get back to me! I told Sai I wanted to speak with you last night!"

Sasuke's blood froze. Sai was with Naruto? But then that meant CSIS was involved, didn't it? That was a good thing, the blond had help. But how would he have been allowed to aid Naruto? _Right..._ Sasuke realized slowly. _Sai was supposedly Akatsuki. They don't know he's CSIS. He's with Naruto, helping him, though Pein doesn't know that..._

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah, sorry. Bad reception," he blurted out, trying to recover from his shock of hearing Sai's name. "I came home really late last night, I didn't have time to call. No big deal, I'm calling now, right? So calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Sasuke Uchiha!" she shrieked. "Do you have _any_ idea how worried I am about your stupid boyfriend? What the hell is the matter with him?! Kiba was _shot_, and he didn't even think of coming to the hospital to see if he was all right?" Sasuke felt like the floor had fallen out from under him. He almost dropped his phone. Tsunade merely continued. "I mean, really, even if they had a huge fight, the guy was _shot_! He's in a _coma_! Naruto should've come, and so should you! I can't believe you both haven't shown your faces!"

Kiba had been shot. Was it Pein's doing? What was he thinking, of _course_ it was! Kiba had been fucking _shot_! Was he okay?! He was in a coma, but—that didn't mean it was bad, right? Sasuke had been in a coma, and though he didn't remember any of it because of his amnesia, he'd been out for a long time. And not all coma patients woke up. Was Kiba going to wake up?

How was this happening? No one else was supposed to be involved, this was about him and Naruto. Just them! Why the fuck had Kiba been dragged into this?! Why had he been _shot_?! Had he found out what was really going on? Had Pein tried to get rid of him because he knew too much? Was that where Suigetsu had gone off to this morning? Was he going to finish him off at the hospital?

"Sasuke, did you hear a word I just said?!" Tsunade sounded furious.

"Yeah," he forced out, swallowing hard. "It's complicated to explain. I'm sorry about Kiba, I really am. But I can't—I'm not able to come see him right now. And Naruto's not in any position to, either."

There was a long silence on the other end.

"Sasuke, did something happen?" His eyes flickered to Pein, but the redheaded man was staring at the ground. He looked to be thinking. Shit, was Tsunade next? "Something like-like last year?"

"You worry too much, Tsunade." Sasuke forced a laugh. He hoped it didn't sound as fake as he felt it did. "No, everything's fine, it's just—Naruto and I have had a bit of a rough patch, and with Sai here it hasn't really been helping much. And then Naruto got into a fight with Kiba, it's just—too much has happened, between his-his father, and then me, and then Kiba..." He trailed off, trying to compose his thoughts. "It's been hard on all of us, but I think Naruto needs to be alone right now. I think he needs space. So—I'm going away."

"What?" Tsunade sounded stunned.

"I'm leaving." He sighed. "I'm going to go up to Whistler for a while; clear my head. Naruto and I talked about it, and he's agreed it'd be for the best. Please don't tell anyone, though, I really don't need them coming up to Whistler looking for me. Especially Kakashi. He'll just worry, but I promise I'll be fine. I won't do anything stupid. I'm only telling you because I know you'll freak out if I bail on Naruto without saying anything first."

"Sasuke, I really don't think that's a good idea right now."

"I feel like it's my only option." Understatement. "I have to do this. I'm sorry."

Tsunade sighed, sounding exasperated. "Kids these days. You're all a pain." Another sigh. "You'll keep in touch with me, right? Keep me posted?"

Sasuke glanced at Pein, and the redhead smirked before nodding. The raven averted his eyes, clenching his jaw. "Yes. I will. As much as I can."

"All right then, if you're adamant."

"I am."

She sighed again. "Well, enjoy the weather. I don't know if you ski or whatnot, but make sure you do a lot of it up there. It'll help clear your head faster so you can come home to Naruto. He's going to miss you."

The raven looked up at the screen, the blond still on his knees. "Yeah," he whispered. "I know."

"Take care, Sasuke. And keep in touch, you hear?"

"Yes. Good bye." He snapped the phone shut before she could say anything more.

"I've decided the safest way for you to keep in touch with anyone who demands it is by email." Pein pulled the earphones off, twirling them leisurely as he looked over at the television. "It's easier to keep an eye on it because then you won't have any awkward pauses like you did this time."

"Is Kiba okay?" he asked, still staring at Naruto. He wanted to savour this for as long as possible.

"Who knows? Suppose he's lucky he's in a coma, means he'll miss all the drama." Pein smirked at him, then stood up. He pulled his phone out, and Sasuke saw Konan pull her own from her pocket a few seconds later. "You can let the kid go, now. It's done. Make sure he leaves first, I don't want him following you."

She hung up and then took a step back, lowering the gun. Naruto turned and stood up as she spoke to him. He didn't say a word. Before leaving, though, his eyes scanned the wall until he was looking straight at the camera, his eyes boring into Sasuke's though he couldn't even see him.

The raven clenched his fists, unable to tears his eyes away from the screen. Then, it went black. Pein had turned it off. He glared down at the desk, gritting his teeth. Pein was going to pay for all the shit he was putting Naruto though.

And he was going to get his kneecaps blown off as a way to pay him back for hurting Kiba. Because the asshole had crossed a line bringing him into this, and Sasuke was going to make sure he paid for that mistake.

* * *

**AN: Yes, I know way back when I said Hayate was going to stay dead, but... he was needed so... I broke my own promise -sigh- And OMG KIBA IS DYING! Now anything goes, right? -smirk-**


	12. Bloodshed

**AN: So, after three years of non-existence, here you guys go. Sorry, the characters are gonna be a little different, I don't write them how I used to (I personally feel that's a good thing).  
**

**Disclaimer: Surprisingly, K. Masashi hasn't forgotten me after three years, and still didn't let me abduct Kiba.**

* * *

Homura regarded the woman seated across the desk from him, watching her while she shifted uncomfortably, his gaze and silence making her uneasy. He narrowed his eyes slightly, digesting everything he'd been told, trying to think on the best course of action. After a tense silence, the man stood from his seat, leaning forward on his desk, both hands pressed against the wooden surface.

"This is the closest we have ever come to arresting Pein Nagato. Naruto is a necessary pawn for this operation to work, and if these three adults you spoke of are going to jeapordize everything, not only for us, but for Naruto as well, then I think it would be best to arrange for them to be taken into protective custody." His eyes narrowed further. "I am not willing to lose Pein because of their inability to understand that Naruto doesn't need their help." The man held up one hand when Yuugao made it clear she was about to protest.

"I understand the concern for Naruto, but Sai is with him, I have every confidence that he will be able to keep him safe."

The old man could tell this wasn't exactly comforting to the woman before him, but she was smart enough to incline her head slightly and not say another word. He appreciated it, because he wasn't all that thrilled about this entire ordeal, either.

Taking a seat once more, he folded his hands together and frowned down at his desk thoughtfully. "Pein has been evading us for far too many years. I understand your concern for Sai, and Sai's concern for Naruto, but this is, unfortunately, a lot bigger than the two of them. I'm not going to allow for this to continue, especially when I finally have a chance to stop him once and for all." He saw Yuugao's jaw clench, and knew this wasn't something she was happy to hear.

He wondered if she didn't understand that he was just as unhappy about it. Sai was his best agent, and quite frankly, his favourite. He didn't want to lose him either, especially not because the man was too stubborn to let the Uzumaki child suffer, but he knew there was nothing to be done about it. However, he still wanted Pein.

"Yuugao." She straightened slightly when he spoke her name. "Arrange for Tsunade and Jiraiya Sannin, and Shizune Kimeda to be put into witness protection. Send them to the safehouse on Prince Edward Island for the moment. We'll move them if this isn't deemed a safe enough location."

"It isn't going to be easy making them disappear like this," Yuugao informed him. "Shizune is a renowned doctor, and right now, one of Naruto's closest friends is in the hospital. She isn't going to leave knowing how much the boy means to him. And Tsunade? She's the president of UBC. Jiraiya is a professor. They won't be easy to just pack on a plane and send away, they have noticeable positions, and their absences will not go unnoticed."

"We can arrange for something to explain their absences. If your concern is they won't go, we'll have to explain it's for their own safeties." He paused briefly, knowing that wouldn't be enough, and added, "And Naruto's. If they believe it will keep him safe, aid him in any way, then they will leave." Homura rubbed at his eyes, feeling exhaustion beginning to set in, and stood, turning to look out his window at the scenery below him. Watching all the people driving past the building, not a care in the world, with no idea what truly went on around them on a daily basis.

He at one time envied them. Now, he pitied their lack of knowledge.

"Have someone the doctor trusts watch over this friend of Naruto's."

"His name is Kiba," Yuugao said. The testy tone she had used didn't go unnoticed. He found it frustrating that his agents could get so attached, it made it harder to be professional.

"Yes, Kiba." He turned back to her. "Have someone she trusts watch him. Then have Ms. Sannin send out a campus-wide e-mail announcing a family emergency wherein she and Mr. Sannin will have to leave for an indefinite amount of time. I'm sure both will be able to find temporary replacements during their absences." He glanced back out the window, watching a cloud pass over the sun, darkening the street for a brief moment before the light returned. "Naruto will need some leeway. He can't be constantly worrying that others will discover what's going on when he should be focussing on playing out his game."

"Yes sir."

Homura heard the snap in that reply, as well. He turned back to her, and could tell she was annoyed with herself. This was becoming personal to everyone because it was personal to Sai. He didn't like that. When things got too personal, there were too many chances for mistakes to be made; lives to be lost.

"This is for the best, Yuugao," he insisted, trying to prove to her that he, himself, cared about Sai. Mostly just Sai, Naruto wasn't really anybody to him. "It guarantees their safety, and additionally, will ensure they aren't available to pry. That will certainly make Sai's life easier."

"Of course," she said, still using the same tone. "Shall I inform Sai?" she inquired, standing to leave and begin what she'd been ordered. "Or would it be best to let Naruto tell him about the e-mail when he receives it?"

Homura debated it for a second, but considering Sai's acting, it wasn't like they ran the risk of Naruto finding out anyone had been taken away by CSIS. "It would be best to keep him informed. If he isn't told, he might suspect something had happened to them. We should ensure that Tsunade speaks to Naruto, at least every now and then, to confirm that she is, indeed, alive and well. It will relieve a lot of stress. For everyone."

Yuugao inclined her head slightly. "Understood. I'll ensure he is informed."

"Dismissed." Homura turned back to look out the window, hearing his door open, and then shut. He scowled down at the passing cars, feeling that his pity was once again turning into envy at their ability to go on with their lives so easily.

He was getting too old for this.

* * *

Naruto's brain clung to a hazy sleep while his consciousness threatened to return him, kicking and screaming, back to the land of the living. Though he wasn't having the best dreams in the world, they were certainly more welcome than him having to awaken and face a reality that was no better.

A noise across the room forced his foggy mind to claw its way back towards wakefulness, and finally giving up, the blond opened tired eyes to see the back of Sai's head, the agent sitting at his computer. He appeared to be typing something out, and Naruto could see blue in the corner of the screen, informing him it was probably an e-mail.

Closing his eyes once more, the blond turned his head into his pillow and inhaled deeply. He could still smell Sasuke, the other's scent seeming to have absorbed into the material from all the times the other had used it or cuddled it.

Naruto's own scent was slowly beginning to overpower it, but he could easily ignore it and smell the other on his pillow, pretending he was still safe, with him, even though a part of his brain continued to remind him that he wasn't.

Once the dull ache in his chest began to make it unbearable to pretend Sasuke was there with him, Naruto finally sat up, rubbing at his eyes and crawling out of bed. He walked up behind Sai and read over his shoulder, knowing the other was aware of his presence. It was an e-mail to his mother about how he was doing.

It made Naruto's chest ache and he turned around to head downstairs for breakfast, even though they both knew he wasn't going to end up eating any of it.

Stalking slowly into the kitchen, Naruto pulled open the fridge door, and the mere sight of food was enough to make his stomach turn over. Closing the door, he leaned his forehead on the freezer door, staring at the stark whiteness before him. Then, he jerked back, startled, when it was suddenly splattered with red. Heart slamming against his ribs, the blond blinked, and it was gone, the door just as smooth and white as it always had been.

Turning away from the fridge, he rubbed at his eyes furiously, trying to dispel the image of Kiba being wheeled out on a Gurney, his front covered in blood, people screaming in a panic. He couldn't get the image to go away, and even worse, he couldn't even do anything to alleviate his worries.

Though he'd been told through Sai that Kiba was alive, he had also overheard that he hadn't woken up, and people suspected he might be in a coma. Another one of his most important people in a fucking coma. Kiba had a giant hole in his chest, and no matter what Sai said, this was all Naruto's fucking fault. He wished he'd never met Kiba.

What if the brunet never woke up? It would be his fault entirely, all because he'd been selfish. Because he'd wanted to have friends. Because he'd felt that, after all the suffering he'd endured, he _deserved_ a little happiness.

Well what about Kiba's family? Didn't _they_ deserve happiness? Didn't they deserve to know their son wasn't in constant danger while at University, all because of the people he knew?

The blond punched the wall beside him angrily, not wanting to think about Kiba's family. Not wanting to remember anything about the fact that Kiba had others who cared about him just as much, if not _more_, than Naruto did. Not wanting to think about how Kiba himself deserved to be safe, and out having fun at Frat parties, without having to spend his days worrying about Naruto. He deserved to be happy, _not_ Naruto.

Snorting to himself, Naruto leaned back against the wall and sank to the ground. Happiness? What a joke. He should have known better that someone like him would never be happy. He should have understood that his happiness would lead to other people's unhappiness. But no, because he'd felt he _deserved_ to be happy after all his years of torment, now Sasuke was missing and probably being tortured, Kiba was in the hospital fighting for his life, and all of his other friends thought he was a selfish, inconsiderate asshole because he kept telling them to fuck off and leave him alone. He didn't see the point in trying to keep his friends anymore. Why should he, when Pein was just going to force him to break them all anyway? He might as well beat him to the punch, and then maybe Pein would get bored because he'd have nothing left to torture him with.

Naruto snorted again at the thought. _Nothing left to torture me with? Who am I kidding?_ He shook his head and slammed it backwards lightly so that it hit the wall with a thump. _Someone as sadistic as him, he'd find other things to torture me with aside from my friends._ Not to mention he still had Sasuke, a thought that Naruto kept struggling to ignore. He knew his boyfriend probably wasn't doing well, but as long as he was alive, Naruto would find a way to make this up to him. He didn't know that there truly _was_ a way to make it up to him, but he would find a way.

He could hear banging around in the unit beside his own, and pressed his lips together. Someone next door was up. Naruto didn't know what time it was, so for all he knew, everyone should've been up, but he knew for certain, at least, that one person was up. It made him wonder which of his friends would be getting shot next.

Kiba had figured everything out—whether Pein was aware of this or not was still unclear, but regardless, he'd figured it out—so it was just a matter of time, wasn't it? Shikamaru was a genius, after all. So was Neji. And Gaara knew him only slightly less than Kiba and Sasuke did, so it wouldn't take him long to piece things together, especially considering last year.

And the professors… Well, seeing Sai would just be the tip of his fucked up iceberg. He was screwed either way, they would notice his behaviour. They already had, and things were only going to get worse from here on out. There was no way for him to pretend that his life was peachy keen, hunky dory fine when so many things had gone wrong already.

The blond's eyes shifted to the side slightly when he heard footsteps approaching, Sai obviously on his way down the stairs. He faced forward again, resting his arms on his folded knees, and staring at the cabinet in front of him.

The agent rounded the corner a few seconds later, and when he saw Naruto sitting on the floor, he moved over to sit beside him, groaning on his way to the floor, and then leaned back against the wall. He said nothing, for which Naruto was grateful. He really didn't feel like talking right now.

Considering the only thing he kept asking Sai was whether or not Kiba was awake yet, and probably driving the CSIS agent crazy, he felt it would be a nice respite for the both of them. If something had changed, Sai would tell him. He knew that, but it still didn't stop his need to ask.

Since Sai didn't say anything, it was safe to assume he was still asleep, probably headed closer and closer to a comatose state. At least he was still alive. Small consolation, really, considering the pain he was going to be in when he finally woke up.

If he woke up…

The two of them continued sitting on the floor in silence for what felt like hours, days, weeks, years. The silence was making it hard for Naruto to keep his head, so he had to say something before he went insane.

"How long has it been?" he finally whispered.

"Three days," was the immediate reply, as if Sai had known the question was coming.

Naruto nodded slowly, shifting his gaze to the tiled floor. It had been three days since Pein had contacted him. Three days since he'd been on his knees in a warehouse he wished would burn to the ground, knowing Sasuke had been watching him. Three days since Tsunade, Jiraiya and Shizune had disappeared with nothing more than an e-mail explaining there was an emergency, Naruto wondering if Shizune knew how angry he was for her having left Kiba to someone else.

He was scared. And worried. He felt like something bad had happened to them, but Tsunade had called him the previous day, reassuring him everything was fine—after all, why wouldn't it be? This wasn't last year, nothing was wrong, right?—but it still didn't make him feel better.

His only consolation in that matter was that Tsunade had been calling Yamato to discuss Naruto's sessions, and he'd overheard Shikamaru mention Shizune having called the hospital to check in on Kiba through the wall. It didn't make up for her departure, he still felt anger towards her, but it made him feel infinitesimally better to know she cared enough to call and check in.

_Besides,_ he tried to reassure himself, _if Pein had taken care of them, the fucker'd have called to brag about it, by now._

"You know what sucks the most?" the blond whispered after another long silence, fists slowly clenching and eyes hardening.

"What's that?" Sai inquired in just as low a voice.

"The waiting." Naruto let his head lean back against the wall again, bloodshot eyes focussed on the ceiling, now. "All this fucking waiting when I could just… be doing _something_ to get Sasuke back. Why can't he just give me all the tasks now, so I can power through them and just… get him back."

"Because that's too easy," Sai said with a snort. "It doesn't make you suffer enough. Pein knows you want him back, he's going to stretch this out as long as possible. Anything that risks cutting this short is unacceptable."

"Yippee," the blond muttered, leaning his head forward so it was resting on his knees.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Naruto finally shifted and stood, heading for the stairs so he could go back to his room. Even if his life was shit right now, he still had to act like everything was fine, which meant he still had classes to attend. Even if all he really wanted to do was curl up into a ball and die.

Then again, dying wouldn't be conducive to Sasuke returning alive.

Not that he was guaranteed that either way.

* * *

If Sasuke didn't get anything to eat other than oatmeal soon, he was going to force-starve himself to death, if only to escape having to choke down the tasteless goop day after day. He could understand that they were on a tight budget and didn't want to buy steaks and lobster for their prisoner, but really, oatmeal? Couldn't they just get him cereal or something? Or salad? Just, anything with actual texture and _taste_?

Of course they couldn't, that would be too nice. Wouldn't want to make their prisoner too comfortable, would they? Though that made him envy the people in prison. They were definitely getting better food than he currently was. He was willing to bet Orochimaru was getting better food than he was.

Letting the spoon drop back into his still relatively full bowl, the raven pushed it away from himself, unable to force any more of it down. Maybe if they noticed he wasn't eating any of it, they'd add sugar or something.

More than likely, they'd force it down his throat, though. Really, that option seemed the most plausible.

Leaning back further against the wall, he stared up at the bland ceiling he'd long-since memorized, wondering how many days had passed since he'd been drugged and dragged into this room. Too many, that he knew for certain, but an exact number would've been appreciated. He couldn't even remember when he'd last smelled fresh air, or when he'd last showered, for that matter. He smelled really bad, and if even _he_ could tell, that was _bad_. His hair felt really gross, too, and it seemed to be sticking to his scalp. And his clothes were gag-worthy, they smelled so bad. He was pretty sure parts of his clothing were probably growing mold due to the amount of times Juugo had tossed water on him.

Seriously, would it really have been so difficult to treat him like a human being? Sure, he was a prisoner and meant to suffer and all that fun stuff, but wasn't his lack of hygiene bothering _anyone_ else? Surely, if _he_ could smell his own body odour, his captors could, too! He decided that if he ever kidnapped anyone, he'd hold them hostage in the shower. That way, they'd be able to clean themselves whenever they wanted, and he wouldn't have to worry about their stench making him pass out.

Continuing to ponder the many ways that he would have kidnapped someone differently, the Uchiha played with the soiled bandages around his arm, pulling at the greying edges absent-mindedly. Though the wounds definitely hadn't healed yet, they were far less tender than they had previously been, and a part of him honestly wondered if that was cause for concern. Maybe infection had set in and it hurt so bad his brain was blocking it out for him. Figures he'd lose an arm while being held prisoner by a bunch of morons.

Shifting his hand onto the bandages, he pressed down hard on one of the wounds, and felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm, reminding him that he was, at the very least, still alive. Even if he _did_ end up losing the arm.

Letting up on the pressure, he closed his eyes and tried to think of better things, which eventually led him back to Naruto. He tried to remember everything about the blond's face. Every line, every freckle, every expression, just—everything about him. The last time he'd been allowed to see the moron was when he'd been on his knees in a warehouse with a gun aimed at his head. He'd looked… afraid. It wasn't an expression Sasuke liked to remember, because he knew he was the cause of it. He didn't want to think about anything that had happened this past year, he just wanted to remember Naruto smiling, or laughing, or lost in the throes of passion. Sasuke liked that expression the best, but he felt that was probably his inner pervert talking.

Still, that out of all the expression made him feel like Naruto was truly happy. Like everything he'd endured was made okay with just one night of happiness. 'Course, that'd be too easy and would never be true, but he could hope. Hope was all the bastard had left.

Thinking back on their last night together—their last _happy_ night, not their fight—the Uchiha let a smile slowly form on his lips, and as if sensing that he wasn't suffering horrendously, the door across the room opened to admit Pein, who was probably there to inflict the same thing his name represented. Oh goody.

Not bothering to open his eyes, he listened to the footsteps near him and stop a few feet from him.

"You stink."

"Tends to happen when you're not allowed to shower. I apologize for this horrid inconvenience," Sasuke replied sarcastically.

"Juugo will bring you out to the bathroom, I don't think I'll be able to stand being near you with this smell."

"Hn," was the raven's reply. Wasn't his captor generous?

Ignoring the other's presence, Sasuke continued to picture events of his past that involved Naruto. He had to limit them a great deal when he realized a few involved Kiba. He didn't want to think about the brunet right now, especially since he didn't know for certain if he was even still alive. He'd been told by Tsunade that he was in a coma, but a lot could change over the course of a few days. He really hoped the idiot hadn't up and died on Naruto.

Just when he was about to go through the entire memory of their first prank war, he found himself being pulled roughly to his feet and shoved towards the door, the Uchiha stumbling a step before scowling angrily at the floor and clenching his fists, eager to turn around and punch Juugo across the face—he knew it was him, who else would it be? He just wasn't really all that interested in round two of the other's fists to his face.

Walking through the door and across another room where Suigetsu was drinking a beer while watching television, he was shoved into an adjacent room, which consisted of the most disgusting bathroom Sasuke had ever set foot in. Well, again, he supposed. He'd entered it a few times already to piss. His captors were assholes, but he figured they'd all agreed they didn't want to have to clean up any bodily excrements.

The last thing he wanted to do was remove his shoes and put his feet down on the floor of this bathroom, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and at least he would be able to clean his feet. He had to admit, he was glad his stench had finally started bugging others as much as it had himself. He would've preferred this shower two days ago.

Turning to glance at the door, he caught a shirt thrown at his face, and scowled before turning to set it in the sink—it looked like the cleanest place there. He noticed that Juugo was still standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and large frame blocking any chance of escape.

Snorting softly, Sasuke assumed that this was Pein's idea to try and make him uncomfortable with being naked in front of him, but things like that had never bothered Sasuke in the past. Regardless of where he was or who was watching, he had no problem stripping out of his clothing, which he did so easily, tossing his practically destroyed shirt on the ground and setting his pants in the sink as well, since he hadn't been offered a new pair. He then kicked his boxers off to join his shirt, since there was no way he was going to keep wearing those. He'd rather go commando. And if he ended up soiling his pants beyond repair, well, it wasn't like he could _get_ any more uncomfortable, anyway.

Stepping into the shower—there was no curtain, so he tried to angle the showerhead to the side so it wouldn't wet his new shirt—the raven turned on the hot water and let out a sigh, the burning liquid cascading down across his skin. He reached out for a bar of soap sitting on the ledge and rubbed it between his hands before soaping himself up—it was too white to have been old, and even if it _was_, it wasn't like he had any more options, he'd take what he could get. He didn't see any shampoo or anything around, so he decided using the soap in his hair was better than nothing.

He was in the process of washing himself a second time before he spoke up to talk to Pein. He was smart enough not to piss the guy off _before_ his shower, lest the other lose his sense of smell and decided to make him suffer further by inhaling his own stench.

"So, why am I being so pampered all of a sudden?" he asked sarcastically. "Am I going on a date?"

He honestly wasn't sure if he'd been expecting being pulled out of the shower or not, but Pein didn't seem too concerned with his tone. He was just pacing impatiently back and forth in front of the door, behind Juugo, who was his acting-door for the moment.

"You didn't think only Naruto would be playing this game, did you, Sasuke?" He snorted at the other's playful tone, wondering if Pein had multiple personalities. "Love is a two-way street, Uchiha, surely you should've anticipated that you'd be proving how much you care about him, too."

He suspected Pein was waiting for a reaction, but Sasuke didn't really have one for him. He may not have expected what the other had said, but he couldn't honestly say he was too surprised. Shooting Kiba wasn't enough, of course not, what was almost killing Naruto's best friend when he could just torture his boyfriend? How silly of him.

It became clear Pein was becoming impatient, and when Sasuke saw Juugo get handed a towel, he turned off the water so that it would actually still be dry by the time it reached him, considering Juugo just hurled it at him. He caught it and smirked slightly, drying himself off in the shower and then tossing it onto the floor so he could step on it while he pulled on his jeans.

He'd barely gotten them buttoned up when Juugo grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip and wrenched him towards the door, Sasuke struggling to shove his feet into his sneakers, so he at least had shoes, and grabbing the shirt at the last second, stumbling along after the other man and glaring at his back.

"We have shit to do today, Sasuke, I'd suggest you hurry up," Pein said, smiling pleasantly while the raven and Juugo passed him. He just fake-smiled back, pushing his feet further into his sneakers, glad that he'd managed to avoid touching the disgusting ground beneath his feet. Bad enough he had to sit and sleep on it.

He was thrown unceremoniously onto the chair he'd been seated in when he'd called Tsunade—because, clearly, he lacked the intelligence to sit down on his own—and then the other man moved back a step, glaring at him.

Shrugging, Sasuke just took his sweet-ass time getting his new shirt on, finding it to be a welcome change from his old one, especially since he no longer had to smell how disgustingly dirty he'd been.

When he bent down to get his shoes on properly, Juugo forced him to sit back up, almost tipping the chair over backwards from the force of it, the raven's hands flailing forward slightly to grab at the table to stop him from falling over. When all four legs were back on the ground again, he snorted and slouched in his seat, ignoring the discomfort of his shoes for the moment.

"Such service in this place, do I get a five-course meal next? I don't think I've ever endured such hospitality," he said. He crossed his arms and turned to smirk at Juugo, completely unconcerned with what was coming, even if he didn't know what it was. He honestly couldn't think of anything worse than what Naruto had endured over the past year, so he wasn't all that worried.

"Don't get cocky, Sasuke, my trigger finger might slip one day," Pein said, moving up behind him. When he leaned forward from behind Sasuke, he placed a single item on the table in front of him.

A scalpel.

_Well, this can't be good,_ Sasuke thought, frowning internally but keeping his outward expression completely neutral and uninterested. He shifted his bored expression to Pein, who just smiled at him.

"You may not be too concerned about your own safety, Sasuke, but if you don't behave, just remember that it's not you who's going to be punished, it's Naruto."

Sometimes, Sasuke hated that he'd fallen for the blond, if only because he was the source of all his pain right now. He'd have given anything for Naruto never to have met him if it meant saving the blond from enduring the pain he was now.

Returning his gaze to the scalpel, Sasuke wondered what the other man was planning, and debated the pros and cons of the Uchiha being told to kill someone. With any luck, it'd be Pein, but he somehow doubted that. The thought was nice, though.

Realistically, he found him killing someone to be unlikely. They definitely wouldn't risk letting him out of his little prison, but he doubted they'd have made him shower before covering himself in someone else's blood. Seemed counter-productive, and he'd definitely attract flies if he had blood all over him.

"Go ahead," Pein said from behind him. "Pick it up."

The Uchiha's eyes shifted to glance at Juugo, wondering if the other was as fast as he was strong, and then back to the scalpel. Slowly, he reached forward to pick it up, trying to decide if his plan was worth it before remembering that if he fucked up, Naruto was the one who was going to pay the price. Best to just do what he was told.

For now.

Holding the medical instrument between his fingers, he stared down at it, and then heard a gun cock, feeling the barrel press against the back of his neck. He just shifted his gaze to cock an eyebrow at Pein.

"Precautions, you understand," the other said with a smile. "Thank you, Juugo."

"Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to risk Naruto's life?" Sasuke asked with a snort, facing forward again.

"To be honest, the survival instinct for humans is so high it's hard to discern what anyone would do in this situation. Usually only parents care more for others than themselves. Guess you and Naruto are proving that theory wrong."

Sasuke didn't say anything, he just stared down at the scalpel, beginning to worry somewhat about what was coming. He wasn't all that keen on losing his arm to infection, but he really wasn't interested in losing his fingers, either.

The gun was pressed harder against the back of his neck, and he looked at Pein again. "That really isn't necessary," he said darkly.

"I understand, but it's just to ensure you use the scalpel appropriately." Pein smirked. "And just so we're clear, stabbing me with it isn't appropriate."

"Guess it depends on the point of view," Sasuke replied easily, which earned him a small laugh.

"I suppose. Well, either way." The redhead turned to grab the back of a chair and pulled it up to the table across from Sasuke. He sat down in it, pulling a small video camera from his pocket and placing it on the table. Sasuke frowned, confused.

Pein said nothing, he merely fiddled with it for a few seconds until he apparently had an angle he was happy with, and then hit record. Then, he folded his hands together, and stared at Sasuke. The raven stared back, unsure of what the other expected him to do.

Well, he supposed he was anticipating Sasuke reaching forward to stab him in the face, but with Naruto's safety at risk and the gun at his neck, that was unlikely.

Besides, Suigetsu had suddenly disappeared, and he would bet his balls that he was out watching Naruto in case Sasuke fucked up. He wouldn't even have enough time to regret his actions before the blond would get hurt.

"Well? Time's wasting, Sasuke, get to it."

"What, exactly, am I meant to be doing?" the raven asked dryly, not particularly enjoying the other's suggestive tone. Sasuke wasn't an idiot, he just didn't speak murderer.

"Sasuke," Pein said with another smile, tone still condescending. If he wasn't careful, the Uchiha really _would_ stab him in the face. "Surely you're not that stupid."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched at the insult.

"What is it that Sasuke Uchiha always does whenever things get too hard for him?"

Pein's gaze shifted to the raven's arm, and Sasuke followed his gaze. Looking down at his bandaged arm, he understood what the other wanted him to do. He felt a little stupid for not having considered it, but to be fair, he usually used razors blades, knives or scissors, not fucking scalpels. Besides, that kind of self-inflicted pain was so common for him he hardly understood how this was supposed to be a difficult task.

Maybe it was meant to be difficult for Naruto to watch.

_Well, better me than him,_ he thought, bringing the blade to his arm.

His eyes shifted upwards to look at Pein again, watching the sadistic smirk grow larger and larger. Sasuke found solace in the fact that Sai was going to get him out of this, and then he could repay Pein for everything ten-fold.

He was going to make sure the prison he went to didn't believe in showers, either.

Looking back down at the blade in his hand, he applied pressure and watched the sharpened end cut through his skin.

* * *

Naruto's gaze slowly shifted away from what he'd been focussing on, and towards the window so he could stare at the one across from his own, chin resting in his hand. He wondered if Kiba was doing all right. Last he'd heard, there hadn't been any changes, but that didn't really mean much to him. Were things looking better now than they had a few hours ago? Was he closer to waking up now than he had been yesterday? Was he falling further and further into a coma? What if, while Naruto sat there staring at his best friend's window, Kiba was suddenly sitting up in bed, joking and laughing with all his other friends?

He didn't care that he couldn't be there. He would take not being there if it meant Kiba woke up. If it meant Kiba would be okay. That was all he really cared about right now. He hated that this had happened. It still seemed so surreal—Kiba getting shot. And sadly, it wasn't even the first time he'd been shot because of him, either. _Well, technically, the first time was Sasuke's fault…_

That didn't really make him feel better.

And to make things even worse, he'd found out—through eavesdropping through the wall, as usual—that Kiba's mother had just found out, since she'd been camping and out of cellphone range, and was beside herself with worry and on her way.

That was the last thing he needed. Kiba's mother coming.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Inuzuka, I'm Naruto, the guy who killed your son," Naruto muttered to himself.

"Naruto?"

The blond turned back to the man sitting across from him. He looked exasperated, and had Naruto cared enough about his education, he probably would've felt bad. He knew the only reason Sai was making him do this was to keep his mind occupied, but he didn't see how studying was supposed to keep him from thinking about Kiba or Sasuke.

"Did you hear anything I said?"

"No." What was the point of lying?

The agent in front of him rubbed his face with both hands, the book in front of him still open on the same page it had been for the past hour and a half.

"Naruto, I know you have a lot on your mind," he said, holding up one finger to stop Naruto from interrupting him. The blond didn't bother. "I _know_, okay. But we both know you need to continue on as if nothing has happened, that's the only way you're going to keep Sasuke safe, and right now, the _normal_ you would be studying for midterms."

"I'm pretty sure the normal me wouldn't give a shit about midterms with Kiba in the hospital," Naruto shot back, turning to look back out the window at Kiba's once more.

"Yes, well, the normal you wouldn't have Kiba in the hospital at all right now, so that's not a valid argument."

"Do you think they know?" Naruto suddenly asked, frowning slightly. Sai didn't respond, and Naruto sensed his confusion, so he elaborated. "Tsunade, Jiraiya and Shizune. Do you think they know about what's happening? Do you think they left me because of it?"

"Self-pity doesn't suit you, Naruto," Sai replied. "Regardless of why they're gone, it's good that they are. Less people for us to worry about getting hurt."

Naruto glanced at the agent when he leaned forward in his seat, and Sai grabbed at the blond's head, forcing it to face forward again, and then down, so he was looking at his book. "Now study."

"What's the fucking point?" the blond demanded, slapping the other's hands away angrily. "Studying for this isn't going to wake Kiba up! Studying for this isn't going to bring Sasuke back! If I fail, that's not going to alert the media that my life is falling apart! So why the fuck does it even matter if I study for it or not?" The blond pushed away from the table and stood, turning his back on Sai.

He heard the agent sigh heavily behind him, then the scrape of a chair, suggesting he'd stood. He felt a hand fall onto his shoulder. "Naruto. I know things are hard right now, but everything is gonna—"

"Don't say everything's gonna be okay," he snapped, shrugging the hand off his shoulder. "I'm getting really tired of hearing that everything is gonna be okay."

"Isn't that what you always used to say?" Sai insisted, moving to the side so he was leaning against the wall in Naruto peripheral, hands in his pockets. "You always said everything was always okay in the end, and if it wasn't okay, then it wasn't the end."

"That was before I woke up and remembered who I was," Naruto muttered.

"See again, self-pity. It doesn't suit you."

"Whatever," the blond grunted, turning and heading for the stairs. He barely made it up one step before a hand closed around his arm. "Let go if you want to keep that arm."

"I'm a trained professional, Naruto, do you really think you can take me?"

Naruto turned to look at him, his eyes flashing threateningly. "Do you really want to find out?"

"You're starting to make it look like I don't have a choice, so take your best shot."

Just when the blond was seriously considering punching the other in the face, a knock sounded at their door, both boys turning to look at it. Sai released the blond's arm and walked over to it, pulling it open.

The second he grinned, Naruto knew who it was and he let out a slow breath, thankful that the wait was finally over. For the moment, anyway.

"Hiya, Naruto," Suigetsu said pleasantly, walking into the house. "Got any beer? I'm parched."

"I'll grab you one, mind if I join you?" Sai asked, moving towards the kitchen.

"Sure!" Suigetsu plopped down on the couch, getting comfortable, and grinning at Naruto, patting the seat beside himself. The blond resisted the urge to fly across the room and beat the other's brains in, instead choosing to walk slowly to the couch. He sat down on the end, leaving a space in the middle for Sai, and stared ahead at the screen, waiting for someone to put the DVD in.

_Let's get this over with._

* * *

Neji pushed open the door to his unit, looking up in time to see Tenten wringing her hands at the top of the stairs that led to the living room.

"How's Hinata doing?" she asked in a low voice, as if afraid to speak too loudly.

Neji just shook his head, bending down to take off his shoes. "She's going to see him again in a few minutes."

"That's not what I asked, Neji."

He didn't reply, he just walked up the stairs, kissed her cheek, and moved past her into the living room. His girlfriend touched his shoulder and he turned to look at her.

"Should I go with her?"

Neji hated that Tenten could tell he didn't want to go see Kiba. He didn't know how his cousin could do it. The more often he went, the harder it was to see the brunet the way he was. It was slowly killing him, and he didn't understand how Hinata could continue to torture herself like she was.

"If you could."

"Sure." Tenten smiled and leaned forward to kiss him lightly before turning to head for the door. It closed a few seconds later and Neji rubbed at his face, turning and starting slightly when he found Gaara standing right in front of him.

"Everyone's left," the redhead informed him.

It took a second for Neji to understand what he meant by that, but then he nodded and moved towards the kitchen, Gaara following him. Maybe it was just a habit of living so close to Sasuke and Naruto for two years, but Neji had become increasingly paranoid, and he reached forward to turn on the tap, then started running the dishwasher before leaning back against the counter and staring at Gaara.

The other stared right back, and Neji couldn't help but feel this was... off. Wrong, even. Whenever anyone ever had an "I'm worried about Naruto" meeting, it had always consisted of Gaara, Neji, and Kiba. Sasuke had been present every now and then, but his absence wasn't as much of a discomfort as Kiba's.

He'd never not been there, and it was uncomfortable to know that he wouldn't be for a long time.

But, they continued as usual, there was just far less pre-chatter. Neji and Gaara just continued to stare at one another, the noises around them drowning out anything that may have been spoken between them.

Finally, Neji said what he knew the other was thinking. He just hoped he was wrong.

"Sasuke?"

Gaara blinked slowly, leaning back against the wall, and inclined his head slightly. "Sasuke."

"What do you suspect happened?" Neji inquired, the two of them being sure to keep their voices low so the machine and running water would hide their conversation if anyone was listening. Seriously, they _really_ spent too much time with Naruto and Sasuke.

"I don't know, but we both know someone who does."

Neji didn't need to be a genius to know who Gaara was talking about, and somehow, he knew the redhead didn't mean Sai. He definitely knew what was going on, but talking to Sai would mean being around Naruto, and the blond had made it expressly clear that this wasn't an option. Kiba getting shot kind of enforced it.

"Kiba's mother is on her way from Ontario," Neji reminded him. "She's going to want to bring him home." And there would go their only source of information.

"I'll convince her to stay. I'll buy her a place, and ensure all the medical bills are taken care of."

Neji was about to ask how, exactly, Gaara planned on doing that before remembering who he was. They were all always so shocked that Naruto was rich that they often forgot Gaara was, too. He just wasn't as social and wouldn't invite people over to his house for parties, so it was harder to be reminded of it. Until the situation called for it, anyway. Like right now.

"Kiba cannot leave," Gaara continued, narrowing his eyes, as if Neji himself were the one wanting to take him away. "He's the only one who knows what's going on."

"We don't know that he knows for certain," Neji argued. He didn't think it was a good idea to hope for Kiba to know what was happening, only for him to wake up and not know anything.

"Kiba knows," Gaara said, his voice low and daring Neji to challenge that.

"How do you know?" Neji demanded.

"Because," Gaara narrowed his eyes further, "you don't shoot someone when they're supposedly no longer friends with the person you're torturing."

Okay, Neji would give him that, it made sense.

"Kiba knows," the redhead continued, glancing towards the window, as if the brunet were standing right outside. "He's staying."

"And until then?" Neji asked, definitely not eager to stand on the sidelines like last year, but knowing that the stakes were higher this time.

"We wait. And trust that Sai knows what he's doing."

* * *

Despite the fact that Genma was becoming increasingly worried with Naruto and Sasuke's lack of appearance in his class—after all, it was entirely possible they'd moved to another hour so they'd have another professor!—the perverted man tried not to let that bother him. He continued on with class as it always had been before their arrival, bouncing around excitedly and consistently bringing up the awesome sex he had with his boyfriend.

Today had started out no different than usual, but when the door at the back of his class opened, and he saw Naruto, he knew something was wrong. It was only furthered by the police officers who followed behind him.

The blond was looking down at him dispassionately, and Genma paused in his crazy antics to stare up at him, wondering why he looked so serious, and why there were police present. He saw one of them bend down towards Naruto and ask him something, the blond nodding.

Nodding as well, the officer started down the stairs, a second one in tow while the third remained up by the door where Naruto was.

"Genma Shiranui?"

"Yeah?" he asked with a frown, resisting the urge to take a step back.

"Can you come with us please?"

The brunet glanced at Naruto, still unsure as to what was going on, but then nodded. He had nothing to hide, he hadn't done anything, so he had no reason to be worried, even if he still felt it.

"Um, class dismissed. Just—read your textbook or something," he told his students, then started climbing the stairs towards the exit. He resisted the urge to yank his arm free of the officer's grasp when it was grabbed, but it was difficult.

Once they'd exited the room, and were standing in the deserted corridor, Genma glanced at Naruto again, but the blond just kept his expression completely neutral.

"What's going on?" Genma finally asked, his voice uncertain.

"You really thought I was going to just let you do it without talking to anyone? As if failing me was really going to stop me? After three fucking years of it, you thought I'd still just sit back and take it?"

Genma stared at Naruto. "What?"

"Genma Shiranui, you're under arrest for sexual assault, and for having sex with a minor. You have the right to remain silent..."

The professor stood frozen, his brain stuttering to a halt at the words while one of the officers cuffed his hands behind his back, still reciting his rights to him.

"What?" he asked again, turning to look at one of the cops, then looking back at Naruto. "Okay, wait a second, I know I act crazy and always ask Naruto to have sex, but for one thing, he's a student, for another, he's my best friend's almost adopted son, and for _another_, I don't have sex with my students, much as I'd like to."

Genma felt he probably could've done with leaving that last part out.

"And furthermore, Naruto's nineteen, so even if what he was saying was true, he's not a minor."

"I was in first year."

The brunet looked back at Naruto, the other's eyes hard and cold.

"I was in first year when this all started. But not anymore. I'm done letting you fuck me for your sick, sadistic pleasure, and God knows how many other students."

"Let's go."

Genma stumbled forward a step, the officer behind him pushing him forward. The brunet's wide eyes turned to regard Naruto again.

"Naruto, tell them you're lying. Naruto, I didn't do this!" He started struggling, another officer helping the first, pushing him towards the door.

"Naruto, tell them I didn't do this! Naruto!"

The blond didn't say a thing, he just stood exactly where he had been, and watched the police escort Genma from the building.


	13. Consequences

**Disclaimer: K. Masashi's Bishis.**

* * *

Naruto slowly pushed open the door to his unit, walking in and dropping his bag on the floor beside himself before slowly shutting it. He stayed standing in the dark entrance for a while, not sure how much time had passed before his fist finally flew towards the wall, and effectively cracked the plaster, pain shooting up his arm.

He ignored it, burying his hands in his hair and sinking to the ground, gritting his teeth together and trying to dispel thoughts of Genma's panicked screaming.

He'd already gotten seven phonecalls from Raidou, and eighteen from Kakashi, but he hadn't bothered to answer them. Or listen to his voicemails. He couldn't bear the thought of listening to Raidou demand to know what the fuck was going on. He already felt like he was going to be sick for what he'd done.

He didn't hear Sai approach him. He didn't even know the other was there until he felt a hand fall onto his shoulder.

"Genma will forgive you."

Naruto pushed him away roughly, getting to his feet and storming into the living room. "You think that makes it better?" he hollered angrily, rounding on Sai. "You think that makes it _easier_? They'll all forgive me because I had no choice? Genma's in fucking _jail_, Sai, and I fucking put him there! And for what?" Naruto motioned the television angrily. "Because some guy on TV told me to have one of my professors arrested?"

"No," Sai said angrily, moving right up to Naruto, "you did it for Sasuke."

"Sasuke's probably fucking dead!" the blond yelled in his face. "Sasuke's..." he trailed off, feeling his chest constrict at his own words. He fell down into one of the chairs, burying his hands in his hair and struggling to keep himself together.

"Sasuke's not dead," Sai insisted in a low voice. "You have proof of that."

"How am I supposed to know that video wasn't taken days ago?" Naruto whispered, ignoring Sai's hand on his shoulder. He lacked the energy to shrug it off. "How do I know they didn't just make him cut and cut and cut until he bled to death?"

"Sasuke is alive," Sai said forcefully. "Kiba is alive. Genma is alive. And all of them will forgive you." Naruto looked up and Sai turned when they heard talking coming from outside. The others were back.

The blond was glad they hadn't been home, he hadn't even thought about what he was screaming and who could hear him until just now. Thankfully, it seemed he'd dodged a bullet. He knew if anyone had heard, they'd be knocking on his door by now.

"This isn't over," Sai said, his voice softer, and leaning closer to the blond. "It might seem like it's going to take an eternity for this to end, but just know that it _will_ end. You said so yourself, Pein's not going to keep him forever."

"What if he's just saying that?" Naruto whispered, looking down into his lap, fingers folding and unfolding together. "He can keep this going forever. He knows I'd never stop, especially if I even had the slightest hint that Sasuke was still alive."

Sai sighed and bent down in front of Naruto, rubbing his hands up and down the blond's thighs. Naruto didn't react to it, he knew Sai was just trying to make him feel better, even if the location of his hands wasn't entirely appreciated.

"Nobody said this was going to be easy, Naruto."

"Good, because it's not," the blond interrupted, glaring slightly. If Sai was trying to make him feel better, he was doing a piss-poor job of it.

"Naruto, you're making this harder for yourself than it needs to be. I know you're upset, and I know this isn't easy, but you need to try and focus on keeping your head. Sasuke is alive. Kiba and Genma are alive. And like I said, they will all forgive you. And we both know Pein is the official leader. Once he's gone, nobody else is going to be able to torture you like this ever again, do you understand?"

Naruto avoided the other's gaze, if only because he was enjoying his pity party too much.

"I'm going to bed," he muttered, getting to his feet and pushing past the man crouched in front of him. He was glad when Sai didn't follow after him.

Moving into his room, he shut his door and sat down on his bed, staring at the wall in front of him before lying down, gaze shifting to the pictures sitting on his bedside table. He stared at them both for a long while before reaching out and lowering the one with his mother and father, choosing not to look at it anymore.

Much as he hated thinking this, it was their fault his life had turned out so fucked up.

And he definitely didn't love them for it.

* * *

A grunt escaped Sasuke's lips when water hit him in the face, the raven's eyes snapping open to glare angrily at Juugo. Would it be so hard for the guy to bend down and shake him? Why did he feel Sasuke needed an ice-cold bath every time he was asleep in order for him to wake up?

"Let me guess, Pein's back," he said with a grunt, sitting up and shaking his head, sending droplets of water onto Juugo's shoes. The other didn't seem to appreciate that, but Sasuke didn't appreciate the slap to the face as a wakeup call, so fair was fair.

Juugo said nothing, he just waited, seemingly until he was sure Sasuke was done spreading water around the room, and then bent down to grab at the raven's arm. Another grunt left Sasuke's throat when his injured arm was the one he chose to yank on, the bandages he'd been given to cover the wounds doing nothing to stop the pain from shooting up his arm.

He allowed himself to be yanked out of the room, where he saw Konan preening all over Pein—well, she was just cutting his hair, but Sasuke saw it differently.

"Sasuke!" Pein greeted him like they were old friends. "Finally awake?"

"No, Juugo decided I was starting to smell bad again," Sasuke replied, completely unfazed.

Pein smirked and motioned the couch, which Suigetsu was sitting on. The raven glanced at the door, which he suspected led into another room since there was no light coming from beneath it and it was most definitely daytime outside. He wondered for the briefest of moments if he would be able to make it through the door and outside before anyone caught up to him, but Juugo throwing him onto the couch and standing beside him made him check that instinct.

"Movie time!" Suigetsu exclaimed happily, switching the television from cable to video. The screen was already paused on an image of Genma in midair, probably prancing across the room.

Sasuke felt he'd been spending too much time with Gai, but that thought flitted away relatively quickly when he realized something bad was about to happen. Why else would Genma be on the screen?

The image unfroze, and Sasuke watched in silence. He watched Genma stop teaching upon seeing Naruto at the door. He watched the police walk down to collect him. He watched Naruto accuse him of sexually abusing him. And then, he watched Genma get dragged down the corridor, screaming that he hadn't done anything.

He felt a hand fall onto his shoulder and grit his teeth.

"Going well, isn't it? One professor in jail, his boyfriend kidnapped, his best friend dying. What else can I do to him before he snaps and kills himself?"

Before even fully deciding he wanted to do what he ended up doing, Sasuke was on his feet, his fist smashing into Pein's nose.

He would've been more than happy to continue beating the other's face in, but the gun at the base of his neck deterred him. He knew Naruto would never forgive him if he went and got himself killed now. So, he just clenched his fists and glared at Pein hatefully, his eyes promising him he wasn't going to live long once Sasuke was home.

The redhead reached up to brush at the blond spilling from his nose, Konan bent down beside him worriedly, as if Sasuke had shot the guy as opposed to merely having broken his nose.

She helped Pein to his feet, who pushed her away once he was standing, clearly unhappy with having been caught off-guard.

"Suigetsu."

"Yeah boss?" The other hadn't even moved from his position on the couch, having turned it back from video to cable.

"Call Naruto."

Sasuke's face fell, eyes widening slightly.

"Tell him to go to the same place as last time. Alone."

"Sure thing."

Sasuke's head snapped towards the other, ignoring the gun pressed to the back of his head. "Wait," he said, looking at Pein, who started walking away. "Wait!"

"My patience has run out for the day, Sasuke, you'll have to hope I'm in a better mood tomorrow," Pein said simply, exiting through the door Sasuke had been eying earlier, Konan glaring at Sasuke before following behind him.

The raven could feel panic rising in his chest.

Fucking hell, he'd screwed up. He'd screwed up and Naruto was the one who was going to pay the price.

* * *

Narrowed eyes watched the scene playing out before him, Sai and Naruto both in the kitchen, arguing. The raven had grabbed Naruto's arm and was yelling in his face about something, and the blond looked ready to punch the other's face in.

Once it became clear the argument had been won, Naruto wrenched his arm free and stormed out the door, slamming it loudly and stalking angrily down the stairs to head towards the parking lot.

Slowly, the figure retreated, so as not to be seen, before turning around and heading back towards the other side of campus, hands shoved deep in his pockets, and eyebrows turned down into a frown.

He thought about what he'd seen the whole way back to his dwelling, entering it still frowning, and shutting the door behind himself.

Raidou was on his feet in an instant, looking like he hadn't slept. Probably hadn't showered, either, by the looks of him. Not that he could be blamed, the poor guy was a wreck after what had happened the previous day. It was a miracle he was holding himself together at all.

"What did you learn?"

"A lot," Kakashi informed him, moving to the fridge to grab a beer. "Did you know Sai was here?"

Raidou frowned. "After the incident with his dad, he was called. Is he still here?"

"He's living here." Kakashi paused, standing in front of the fridge, beer in hand, staring in at the shelves. "He's with Naruto. I didn't see Sasuke."

"Naruto said he was at co-op," Iruka's quiet voice said from the armchair. It was hard to remember he was even there, he'd been so quiet of late.

"Well, it's not the first time Naruto's lied to us."

Raidou stared at him, and Kakashi averted his gaze, moving to sit on the couch.

"You think it's happening again, don't you?"

Kakashi ignored the other's inquiry, tapping the top of the beer can before popping the top and taking a large swallow. He didn't know what to think, but knowing Sai was still around sent up a lot of red flags. And with all the fights Naruto was having, and Kiba getting shot, and Sasuke conveniently indisposed... something was wrong.

"Can't they just have one year?" Kakashi whispered, rubbing at his forehead. "Just one year, is that too much to ask?"

Raidou sat down beside Kakashi, but he didn't say anything. Kakashi could tell the scarred man was still upset about Genma, and with good reason. The only consolation he could give him was that he knew it hadn't been done willingly.

"Genma didn't sleep with Naruto," Kakashi said in a low voice.

"I know that," Raidou spat, then seemed to realize he was being angry at the wrong person and rubbed his face. "I know that," he said again, more calmly. "And knowing what I know now, I know Naruto didn't arrest him for no reason."

"Yeah," Kakashi whispered, taking another sip of his drink, then licking his lips. "I'll call Keita. See if I can't get Genma transferred to another place. A nicer one. When this blows over..." Kakashi didn't know what _this_ was, only that it was bad, and Naruto was probably going to end up killing himself.

"What do you think is happening?" Raidou asked in a low voice, glaring at his hands, which were clenched into fists in front of him. "What should we do?"

"Nothing."

All three men jumped and turned around to find Yamato standing in the doorway. He smiled weakly in apology for scaring them.

"Nothing?" Kakashi lacked the energy to fly into a rage, but he managed to sound as pissed as he felt. "What do you mean _nothing_?"

"I may not have been here last year, but I know that Sai is..." he trailed off, letting the others fill in the blanks about him being CSIS.

Kakashi realized that maybe he thought his place was bugged. He hadn't thought of that, but to be fair, it hadn't been last year, so why would it have been this year?

"If Sai is here, Naruto will be okay. This _will_ blow over." Yamato smiled encouragingly. "All we have to do is wait."

* * *

Flipping his keys nervously in his hands while he walked down the same corridor he had only a few days prior, Naruto licked his lips, looking around. He didn't know why he'd been called and told to come here. Truthfully, he didn't care. All he knew was that if he was here, Sasuke was still alive, and he just needed to keep that in mind.

Pushing through the door at the end of the corridor, he was greeted by a very large and intimidating looking man, and the same blue-haired woman as the last time. Clenching his jaw, he stepped into the room, shutting the door behind himself when he was motioned to do so.

"Am I here for another get-on-your-knees-so-I-can-shoot-you session?" the blond asked, grinding his teeth together.

"I would enjoy that a great deal, but no," the woman said, Naruto resisting the urge to take a step back when the other murderer came towards him.

He jerked his chin up defiantly when the other stopped in front of him, and then let out a startled shout when he was wrenched forward by the front of his shirt. He slammed face-first against the wall and barely had time to register what was happening before his shirt was removed. He decided the time to panic would be if they went for the pants, but they didn't.

Instead, one hand was grabbed and Naruto blinked when he felt metal close around his wrist. Looking up, he pulled at his wrists, finding himself handcuffed to a pipe sticking out of the wall. He turned slightly to look behind himself, confused, and saw the woman holding a phone to her ear.

"He's here, and restrained."

There was talking on the other end, and then she pulled the phone away. Hitting a button, Naruto cocked an eyebrow, waiting, and then realized she'd been putting the caller on speakerphone.

"_Hello, Naruto. Thank you for being so prompt."_

"Yeah, no problem," the blond muttered, looking at the wall again.

"_You're probably wondering why you're here. Well, Sasuke broke my nose."_

Naruto winced, knowing the Uchiha had probably paid dearly for that. He hoped he was okay.

"_As punishment, he gets to watch what is now going to be happening to you."_

The blond tensed instantly, grinding his teeth together. Okay, well, that explained why he was there. Because the camera was back, and now Sasuke was going to get a show. Great, just great.

Not that Naruto blamed the Uchiha for punching Pein. If he wasn't so worried of them killing Sasuke, he'd have punched him a long time ago. Or Suigetsu. Or the two behind him right now. But as it stood, for him, Sasuke died if he fucked up. At least this way around it was tolerable.

In Naruto's opinion, anyway. He was sure Sasuke wasn't all that pleased with himself right now.

But that was okay. It was better this way, anyway. Naruto would rather it be him than Sasuke, even if he didn't know what was coming.

He'd been forced to kill people, he didn't really think anything could be worse than that.

He heard something hit the ground behind him, and tensed again, mostly because he was worried about what was going on. Based on his positioning though... he'd seen a lot of movies in his life, and when he heard the whistling sound behind him, he knew exactly what was coming seconds before pain exploded across his back.

"Fuck!" He hadn't been able to keep the word in. The sting of the whip against his back had hurt a fuckload more than he'd anticipated.

He breathed hard through his mouth, struggling to calm down before the next blow, and was pleased that when it hit, he only let out a grunt, twisting slightly from the force of the hit before righting himself again, being sure to keep his face forward so that he wouldn't get hit there. That would be all he needed, more scars on his face or the loss of an eye.

Another hit, and another grunt. He wondered how many he was going to get. How much had Sasuke hurt Pein? Probably not enough for him to have deserved this, but Naruto was glad the other had been hurt at all.

Fuck Pein. He was going to stand here and take this, and when he was done, he was going to make sure Sasuke knew that there was no way Naruto was going to break over this.

"Is that all you fucking got?"

Evidently, no, it wasn't. But Naruto didn't regret a thing.

* * *

Sasuke unconsciously winced ever so slightly every single time the whip connected with Naruto's back. He kept trying not to react, because he knew that was what Pein wanted, but it was hard. It was really fucking hard, because each hit just... it made this sound. This sickening sound like tearing cardboard or something. And every hit was just slicing open Naruto's skin.

He just wanted it to stop. The blond had passed out what felt like hours ago, his back was a complete fucking mess of blood, and still Juugo just kept slamming away at it.

His head jerked to the side, teeth gritting more, when Naruto was hit again. He pulled at his restraints, feeling the ropes burning into his skin, having been tied so well that any movements just seemed to make them tighten.

Shifting his gaze to Pein, he saw the other was still standing beside him, watching the screen dispassionately. After a few seconds, as if sensing Sasuke's gaze, he turned to look at him.

"Look back at the screen, Sasuke."

"You've made your point," the raven forced out, struggling not to raise his voice.

"No, I don't believe I have."

"He's not even conscious anymore," the Uchiha grit out angrily.

"But you still are."

Sasuke tugged at his wrists again, feeling the ropes tighten and then turned to glare at Pein. "I can't pass out without a reason, so if you'd like for me to bang my head against the table until I'm unconscious, I'd be happy to do so."

"I'd keep going, you'd wake up anyway."

"You're going to kill him."

That gave Pein pause, the redhead turning to look at Sasuke. He tried really hard not to kill him with his eyes, because only Pein would be able to stop this.

"You're going to kill him, and then your game will end."

"Hm." Pein looked back at the screen for a second, then pulled out his phone. Sasuke's head whipped back to the screen, watching, waiting for Konan to answer.

She didn't move. Sasuke glanced at Pein, wondering if he was calling someone else, but the scowl on his face suggested he was calling her. Looking back at the screen, Sasuke's stomach twisted at the thought that the woman was not letting Juugo stop. What if she _did_ let him kill Naruto? The thought made the oatmeal in Sasuke's stomach churn.

"Pick up," he whispered, not caring what Pein thought. "Pick up, pick up, pick up!"

He heard Pein hang up and turned to look at him, but he was dialling another number. Seconds later, Juugo paused and reached into his pocket. He looked up at the camera once the phone was at his ear.

"That's enough. Leave the keys on the floor, I'll have someone retrieve him."

Juugo nodded and Pein hung up, scowling at the screen. Sasuke was just glad Juugo had a phone, otherwise who knew how long before Konan would've answered her own, if she ever did.

Sasuke watched Juugo walk over to Naruto and drop the keys by his feet. Then, he rolled up his whip and started to exit. Konan stayed behind for a few seconds, glaring at Naruto's back, then turned to follow.

"Juugo."

Sasuke jumped, turning to look at Pein, since he hadn't realized he'd called the other back.

"Tell Konan to meet me at home. I want to have a word with her. You come back and put Sasuke back where he belongs." He snapped the phone shut, and scowled angrily at the screen. "Suigetsu."

"Yeah, boss?"

"Call Sai. Tell him where Naruto is. Have him go and get him." He turned to look at the other. "No hospitals."

Sasuke clenched his jaw, wanting to snap that Naruto _definitely_ needed to go to a hospital, but he forced himself not to. If Juugo and Konan were still there, Pein would just tell them to turn around and start whipping again.

"I hope you realize, Sasuke," the other man said, causing the raven to glance at him once more, "that I was merciful today. I could have let him continue. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to punch someone."

Sasuke's gaze shifted back to the television, feeling bile in his throat. Naruto was just... hanging there... by the wrists. Unconscious and bleeding. Probably bleeding to death.

Fuck, wherever Sai was, he hoped he was close, because he really didn't think Naruto was going to last very long.

The screen went black, and just like that, Sasuke would never know.

* * *

Sai slammed the car door and hurried towards the warehouse he knew all too well from almost two years of working for Deidara. He pushed through the large door and hurried down the corridor, fingers itching for his gun, but knowing he couldn't pull it out, it would look suspicious if he was nervous in his own "territory," as Suigetsu had put it.

Pushing open the door at the end, his eyes scanned the room until they found the blond.

"Naruto!" He bolted across the room skidding to a halt beside the other and shifting in front of him, checking for a pulse. The blond was pale, but he was alive.

"Jesus... Christ," Sai said, unsure of what he should be doing. The blood on Naruto's back was still wet, sliding down into the back of his pants, so at least he knew it hadn't been long since this had ended.

Reaching up, he tugged on the handcuffs, then cursed, debating running back to the car to get his lock-picking kit when he saw keys on the floor. He bent down and snatched them up, undoing the handcuffs on one hand which caused the blond to slump forward.

Sai caught him as best he could without touching his back, and quickly removed the second handcuff, hearing them clatter to the floor.

"Okay, come on," he whispered, shifting Naruto so he was carrying him over his shoulder, hoping he wasn't hurting him but far more concerned about getting him out of there than injuring him further.

Hurrying down the corridor, he kicked open the door and headed quickly for his car. Naruto's would have to stay where it was for the moment, and if it got stolen, well, hopefully the blond wouldn't care.

Struggling to open the back door of his car without dropping Naruto, he finally got it open and eased the blond into it on his stomach, making sure he was going to be all right positioned how he was before slamming the door and running around the car.

Once he was behind the wheel, the agent screeched out of the deserted lot, going so fast down the street that any cops coming after him would have a hell of a time catching up. His hands tightened against the wheel, teeth gritting and mind racing. He couldn't bring Naruto to the hospital, he'd been told as much. Of course, at the time, he hadn't expected that he might _have_ to. Now he was just worrying about whether or not he had the necessary tools at the dorm to fix Naruto up.

Turning sharply on a red light, and ignoring the angry honks he received, he pressed down harder on the gas, hoping to God no cops were around. He managed to make it all the way onto campus before being forced to slow due to all the students walking blindly onto the street. He wanted to hit most of them, but felt that would slow his progress in getting Naruto home.

After much horn honking and a lot of swearing out the window, he finally turned onto the main street that lead to Fairview, and sped down it at an unhealthy speed. Screeching to a halt in front of the housing units, he twisted the wheel so he could turn and drive right up to their unit, almost hitting Hinata, who was obviously on her way home.

Sai didn't care. He just slammed on the brakes as close to the door as he could get, then jumped out, rushing around to the other side and wrenching open one of the back doors. Pulling at Naruto's legs so he could get him out, and managed to pull the blond onto his shoulder once more and hurried for the front door.

But not before he heard the gasp.

"Oh my God! Naruto!"

"Forget you saw this," Sai snapped, turning to glare at Hinata while struggling to pull the keys from his pockets, and cursing the fact that he'd locked the door anyway. "He fell off his bike, he's fine, just forget it."

Finally finding his keys, he shoved them into the lock and pushed open the door, slamming it in Hinata's concerned face.

Hurrying up the stairs with Naruto still on his shoulder, he manoeuvred quickly into the blond's room and set him down on his stomach on the bed before turning and rushing to his own room, rooting urgently through his closet. He let out a relieved sigh when he spotted his first aid kit, then stood and returned to stare at the other's back.

The kit tightened in his hands.

There were too many. There were too fucking many wounds. His back looked like minced meat. Sai didn't even know where to start. He didn't even know if any of the skin was even salvageable, at this point.

He'd never felt so completely useless.

Grabbing his phone, he stared down at it for a long while before hitting speed-dial and putting it to his ear.

"_Agent Uzuki." _

"It's me," Sai said, casting a glance at Naruto again. "I know calling is bad, and dangerous, but I need help."

"_What kind of help? What happened?"_ He could hear the frown in Yuugao's voice, and he grit his teeth. This was totally going to blow up in his face, but he had to do this. No way could he fix Naruto up, he wasn't a professional. And while he'd have worked on it if it were himself, this was someone he cared about, and Naruto needed medical attention.

"I need a doctor. Or-or a surgeon. Someone with medical expertise."

"_Have you called Yamato?"_

Sai raked a hand through his hair and started pacing. "He doesn't work for us anymore, Yuugao."

"_He's a licensed doctor. He was doing surgery for years before he worked for CSIS and became a psychologist. He's a professor at UBC now, isn't he? And Naruto's psychologist? It won't look weird for him to come over."_

"I'll have to explain it to him," Sai insisted. "He doesn't have clearance."

"_Tell him that. He'll understand. We can't blow your cover, Sai, even calling me is going to piss Homura off. Call Yamato, he'll help you, no questions asked. He owes you, remember? You saved his life." _

Sai rubbed at his mouth nervously, glancing at Naruto, and decided he didn't have a choice. He just hoped Yamato was willing to work without an explanation.

"Thanks," he muttered to Yuugao before hanging up and rushing downstairs. He knew Naruto had Yamato's number on the fridge.

It was normal for CSIS to keep track of their retired agents, so it hadn't come as a surprise to Sai when he'd been told Yamato was going to be going to UBC for Naruto. In his own way, Sai felt like Yamato was trying to continue to be an agent—without the risks of getting shot. Yamato hated risks, it was the same reason he'd quit life as a surgeon. Too many deaths.

Finding the number, he dialled it and put the phone back to his ear. When the line clicked, there was hesitance.

"_I recognize this number. I was hoping I'd never see it again."_

"Remember that time in Montreal?" Sai asked as way of greeting.

He heard a sigh.

"_I knew this day was coming. I'm not going to like it, am I?"_

"Come to Naruto's. And you might want to stop in the village for some medical supplies, if they sell any."

"_How serious is it?"_

The agent glanced at the stairs. "Don't dawdle," he informed him, then hung up.

* * *

The first thing Naruto awoke to, the first thing his consciousness registered, was the smell. For a second, it was so overpowering, that he thought Sasuke had returned before he realized he was suffocating, and it had to be his pillow.

The next thing that registered was the pain. Instantly, his body tensed as an automatic reaction; in an attempt to protect itself. Tensing only made it worse and a sharp exhale left his lips.

A noise which instantly alerted whoever was in the room that he was awake because he felt a presence beside him the second the sound escaped him.

"Naruto?"

A loud hiss left him once more when something cool was placed on his scalding back, soothing a bit of the pain, but definitely not getting rid of it. Opening bleary eyes, Naruto waited for them to focus before Sai's worried face came into view.

"Are you okay?"

"Have you seen my back?" the blond forced out, his voice grainy.

"Of course I have."

"Then why are you asking me such a stupid question?"

He could tell Sai looked a little relieved at his snark, but to be fair, it _was_ a stupid question, and Naruto was annoyed he'd thought it necessary to ask it. Turning his head the other way, and feeling his skin strain at the movement, he would've asked what happened, but he felt it was pretty obvious.

If he wasn't cuffed anymore, clearly they'd called Sai to come and get him, or dropped him off at the dorm. Whichever, all he knew was he was happy to be home, and he didn't regret anything. Sure, he'd passed out, but to be fair, he hadn't screamed. Not once. And he knew that blue-haired bitch was pissed about that.

A dark chuckle rose up his chest at the memory of the woman screaming for "Juugo" to hit him harder. As if that was going to break him.

Well, not mentally anyway. Physically was another story.

"Am I gonna be able to walk?"

"Not anytime soon. And not without painkillers."

"How long?" he whispered.

"A week, maybe two." A brief pause. "They really fucked you up, Naruto. What happened?"

"Sasuke punched Pein," the blond grunted, shifting to turn his head back towards Sai. He didn't know what the other man was rubbing on his back, but it felt _so _good. "His punishment was watching."

"He got the better end of the deal, then," Sai muttered, his old jealousy peeking through slightly.

The blond just snorted and closed his eyes.

One week. He couldn't afford to be out of commission for one week. He only had one month of class left before finals. That meant a month and a half before Christmas. That was a long time for more gaming instructions to come in, and he really couldn't afford not to do one of them because his back looked like the scene of a horror movie.

A wince passed across his face when Sai pressed down a bit too hard on something on his back, but he tried his best to keep himself in check. Besides, the pain was a nice reminder that he was still alive.

The phone ringing made them both jump, Naruto cursing at the pain, but Sai grabbed the stupid piece of technology before it could ring again. He stared at the caller for a second, then held it out to the blond.

"It's for you."

That could only mean one person.

Grunting, he shifted one arm, feeling the skin stretching painfully—probably due to the few hits he'd gotten on it—and grabbed the phone. Flipping it open, he pressed it to his ear.

"What do you want?" he demanded, knowing he was being rude, but hoping Pein would understand.

There was a long pause.

"_Are you okay?"_

Naruto jerked up, then let out a shout and fell back onto his stomach, breathing hard and clutching at the sheets, hand tightening on the phone.

"Sasuke?"

"_Poor thing, you should've answered his question."_

The blond's teeth ground together when a new voice answered, hand tightening even further on the phone.

"_He had to beg for hours, you know. To know if you were okay. I told him he could ask one question, and your answer would be all he'd get. Guess you should've chosen more carefully."_

"I didn't know the rules, isn't that a little unfair?" Naruto spat angrily.

"_Naruto, you can't tell me you've forgotten the rules already. I'd refresh your memory, but I prefer it when you fuck up. How's the back, by the way? On your feet yet?"_

"Fuck you!"

"_Careful, Naruto."_ Pein's voice had darkened considerably, and Naruto could tell this was the Pein _not_ to fuck with. _"Wouldn't want me to have to teach Sasuke a lesson."_

Grinding his teeth angrily, Naruto resisted the urge to chuck the phone at the wall. He only refrained because he didn't know what that would mean for Sasuke, and he definitely didn't want the other to get what he'd just gotten. Especially when he didn't have the luxury of someone taking care of him.

"_Let me talk to Sai."_

Naruto thrust the phone at the other, Sai's head snapping back to avoid getting punched in the face. He took it, frowning in confusion, and placed it at his ear.

"Yes, boss man?"

Hearing that made Naruto want to punch him, even though he knew it wasn't Sai's fault. None of this was anyone's fault but his own. He was so fucking pissed at himself he wanted to just die. But he couldn't die. Because then Sasuke would die.

Fuck, he just wanted to forget. Just for a few hours.

His hands clenched into the sheets, the thought of heroin almost more inviting than he could bear, but he forced himself to dispel the thought. If he took it, he'd forget the pain, but he'd forget Sasuke, too.

He could never forget about Sasuke.

"A week, maybe two. He's so stubborn I'm betting on a week."

Naruto's attention returned to the other when he heard this, obviously telling Pein how much longer before he was back on his feet.

"Understood."

Sai hung up and let out a slow breath.

"You have five days."

Naruto stared at him for a long while, then narrowed his eyes.

"I'll do it in three."


	14. Everything Is Always Okay In The End

**AN: I find it funny that a majority of the reviews are people saying they're glad I'm back... I never left |D I've still been writing for the past three years, just not on FF... I've got three years worth of reading material on Y!Gallery pfft |D Me, disappear. Funny.**

**Disclaimer: Strangely enough, drugging K. Masashi and taking Kiba is still considered kidnapping, even if he agreed to hand him over while he wasn't all there in the head. Who'd have thunk it?**

* * *

Naruto had started sitting at the back of his classes. Not because he didn't want the professors to ask him questions, but because he was ashamed to show his face, especially when it came to Raidou. The man looked like complete shit, and Naruto knew it was his fault.

Not to mention Anatomy was ridiculously boring now. Naruto had never thought he'd miss the perverted professor so much until he wasn't there anymore. Of course, knowing where he _was_ just seemed to be making the class worse, but the blond felt like it would be accurate to assume had Genma just been on vacation, he would still have missed him just as much.

He didn't lean back in his seat, just stayed hunched over his desk as much as possible, despite how uncomfortable he was for the most part. It was easier on his back, especially since it wasn't even remotely healed yet. He was just fucking stupid and thought he was indestructible.

Well, testament to his strength, he was sitting in class after three days, just like he'd predicted. It was hard to concentrate, sure, but Pein had only told him he had to _attend_ the classes, not pass them.

When the class he was currently sitting in ended—he didn't even know which class it was anymore—he grabbed up his things, carrying his books in his hands since he hadn't brought a backpack, and headed for the door.

Manoeuvring through the halls without people smashing into him was harder, but he managed to make it outside without being injured too much. He did hang out near the building for a while to stop the shaking, though, because contrary to popular belief, he _was_ human, and he _did_ feel pain. Agony would be more accurate, currently.

Turning his head slightly while struggling to inhale and exhale at a decent rate, he winced when he saw Hinata, Neji, Shikamaru and Gaara heading in his direction. He prayed to God they were just on their way to class, because he really didn't know if he could explain away why he looked so damn beat up.

So dice. Hinata instantly started veering towards him, and had even gotten so far as saying his name when Neji's hand closed around her upper arm and gently pulled her back to his side, keeping her on track. He didn't look at Naruto when they passed him.

The blond felt his chest constrict and he bowed his head, clenching his hands into fists and gritting his teeth. Much as he knew it was for the best that everyone hated him, it didn't make it easy for him to accept. He wanted to keep them all safe, but knowing their friendships had come to an end... it stung.

Resisting the urge to punch something—mostly because he felt one injury at a time was the best course of action, here—he turned and hobbled back towards University boulevard, walking towards the bookstore where he found Sai waiting beside his car.

_Reminds me, I need to go and get mine,_ he thought to himself, making his way towards the agent.

"Thanks for the ride," he muttered, getting into the passenger seat and leaning forward, much like he had all day in class.

"I don't even think you should be standing, let alone walking, but you're too stubborn to listen to me, and... Well, you're too stubborn."

Naruto knew what he'd been about to say. That only Sasuke could've talked him out of it.

"Yeah, well, Sasuke's not here," he muttered to himself, scowling angrily at the ground.

Sai was smart enough not to say anything. Shocking, that. Naruto felt like the agent liked putting his foot in his mouth.

Maybe he'd run out of patience for putting up with Naruto.

"Did we get any new videos?"

"No, not yet. He wouldn't bring them over while you were out, anyway. Defeats the purpose. Suigetsu gets to go back and describe every expression you make during the videos."

"Right."

He didn't know what else to say, so he left it at that, and turned to look out the window at all the passing students, envying the simplicity of their lives. He doubted any of them had ever gotten shot. Or recruited against their will into an organization for murderers. Or raped. Or forced into an addiction. Or anything else that had happened to him in his wonderful, wonderful life.

"Everything is always okay in the end," Sai suddenly said, making Naruto turn to him. "If it's not okay, then it's not the end." He looked over at the blond, and grinned. "Right?"

"Yeah," Naruto forced out, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He wouldn't want to disappoint his grandma by not continuing to live by those words.

To be fair, considering what he'd been through the past three years, he felt she'd understand if he suddenly lost faith.

"Can you take me somewhere?"

Sai was about to turn onto the street for Fairview, but Naruto motioned ahead, and he bypassed the turn, eying him inquiringly.

"Where to?"

"I wanna go see my grandma," Naruto whispered. "I've... gone to see my parents a lot, but never her. She's too raw, too fresh. I would've preferred to wait years before going but I can't wait anymore."

"Sure," Sai said in a low voice. "Just tell me where to go."

* * *

Realistically, Sai thought this was a bad idea. Considering all the shit Naruto had been through, for him to willingly walk into a cemetery to talk to his recently deceased grandmother was like asking for something to go wrong.

Mostly because he felt the blond was still too fragile. If not physically, then at least mentally. Testament to Naruto's strength that he'd held it together after all these years. Sai knew he, himself, was strong, but he honestly didn't think he'd have managed to stay as optimistic and put-together as Naruto if their lives were reversed.

Leaning back against the car with his arms crossed, Sai watched the blond's lips move, the other speaking to the grave of his grandmother. It had been almost an hour by now, but Sai wasn't exactly in any kind of hurry, so he just let Naruto do as he pleased.

That was when he saw the car. He frowned at it for a few minutes, as if recognizing, and really hoped his team wasn't stupid enough to follow them in broad daylight, but the closer the car came, the more he felt it wasn't _that_ familiar, just enough that he recognized it.

When it stopped beside him, he understood why.

"Hiya Sai."

"How's it going, Suigetsu?" It took a conscious effort to keep his smile in place. He would've preferred to rip the other's head off.

"Went to the house, but you guys weren't there. Was just passing by and happened to see blondie." He jerked his head in Naruto's direction. "He almost done?"

"I don't know, he's been there a while, so—"

"Yo!"

If looks could kill, Suigetsu would've been dead the second he'd inhaled to scream out that one word.

Naruto turned, and whatever comfort he'd found from talking to his grandmother vanished. Sai could see the other's eyes deadening from where he stood. It took a conscious effort not to turn and snap at Suigetsu. Even if Sai _hadn't_ been an agent, he would've respected people enough not to interrupt them while they were at a loved one's grave.

Not that it mattered anymore. The damage was done, and Naruto was already heading back towards them.

"What do you want?" the blond demanded, which earned him a laugh from Suigetsu.

"You know, you're gonna turn me gay if you keep at this. You're hot when you're pissed beyond all reason." He held up a disc and waved it. "Next task. Or game piece, whichever." He shrugged. "Let's go, blondie. Time's a-wastin'!"

The murderer turned his car around and led the way back towards UBC, Naruto moving up beside Sai, but his gaze remaining locked on the other's car.

"One day, when this is all over, you're going to have to arrest me for all the horribly unspeakable things I'm going to do to Pein, Suigetsu, and the other two working for him."

"What are you talking about?" Sai asked darkly. "You won't have a chance once I'm through with them."

* * *

There was... an annoying beeping sound. Beep. Beep. Beep. He felt like it was important. Like it should continue to beep, otherwise awful things were going to happen. But it was kind of annoying. Beep. Beep. Beep.

It sounded so familiar, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it was meant to be. Or why it felt like someone was sitting on his chest. The feeling would disappear for a second, air forcing itself into his lungs much more harshly than he felt he'd inhaled, and then the pressure would be back, forcing the air out. It was uncomfortable.

Not painful, just uncomfortable.

No, if there was any pain at all, it was focussed around the centre of his back. It felt like someone had punched a hole through his chest, and each forced inhale was like sending sparks of agony shooting up his spine.

Dark brown eyes slowly forced themselves open, blinking sluggishly while staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. It was blurry for a while, a lot longer than he would have liked, and he shifted his gaze towards the door. It was equally blurry, and when he turned his head in the opposite direction, he saw the source of the beeping. A machine.

Right... he'd been shot.

In the back.

Kiba wiggled his toes, as if to reassure himself he wasn't paralyzed, and despite the pain the action caused, he found that they were moving, and this relieved him a great deal. He felt like God was trying to send him a message: exercise more of I won't feel you deserve your legs.

After all, every time he got shot, his poor legs were affected. Why couldn't he have gotten shot in the arm, or better yet, not at all.

Not at all sounded good.

The door to his room opened, sending searing light into his retinas, forcing him to turn his head away, eyes clenched shut. The brightness passed, the door closing behind whoever had entered, and the brunet chanced a look at the figure walking towards him.

It was still really hard to see, though. All he noticed was that whoever it was, they had the bluest hair he'd ever fucking seen in his life.

"You woke up. That's a shame."

Kiba frowned, not recognizing the voice.

"Who..." he cleared his throat, voice gravelly from lack of use. "Who are you?" Was she a nurse or something? Because telling a patient they woke up was a shame was kind of rude, and insulting. If she didn't want to have to clean his butt when he pooped, maybe she should've chosen a different job.

"Nobody you know. Nobody you need to remember. Not that you'll have that option, anyway."

Kiba didn't need to see properly to recognize the item the woman held up. His eyes widened and his mouth opened to cry out when a loud shot rang out through the room, the bullet slamming into the centre of his forehead and—

* * *

Naruto let out a shout, jerking up in bed, his back screaming in agony at the action, but the blond unable to care. Sweat made his sheets cling to his skin, and his hair was matted down against his forehead.

Despite his appearance, the blond was shaking, the events of his dream replaying in his head. Throwing the covers off himself, he tripped in them before stumbling and freeing himself and threw open his bedroom door.

He didn't bother being quiet, he didn't care who he woke up. All he could think about was finding a phone. One that wasn't possibly tapped. One that no one would think of to check.

Throwing open the door to his unit, not even concerning himself with the fact that he was barefoot and wearing nothing but sweatpants, the blond raced down the stairs of the unit and bolted for the entrance of the compound-like area their townhouses were in.

Once he reached the main road, he turned right and ran for all he was worth towards the Village. He didn't know if there were payphones there, and he didn't care. He'd break into a store if he had to. Or run all the way to the payphone on Broadway and Alma—though that was really, really far.

Naruto was racing past a mostly abandoned outdoor parking lot when he skid to a halt, feeling rocks digging painfully into his feet. He could see a row of phonebooths, and without bothering to check the road, he raced across it.

Nobody hit him, probably because nobody was around _to_ hit him, which was good, since he honestly didn't think he'd have noticed if he _had_ gotten into an accident with the front-end of a car. Or bus.

Letting out a grunt when he raced through some broken glass, he ignored the pain—it was mild compared to his back, anyway—and slammed into one of the booths, picking up the receiver and then punching the side when he realized he hadn't brought a quarter or anything.

Dialling zero for the operator, he struggled to stop his hands from shaking.

Because he was scared.

Because he was in pain.

Because he was cold.

The list, really, for why his hands were shaking, was endless.

"_Hello, Operator."_

"Hi, I um, I need the hospital. General. Vancouver General, whatever it's called. I need them. Now, please. Now."

"_Sir, do you need assistance? Is there an emergency?"_

"No, no emerg—I need to talk to someone, please. Just—patch me through. To anyone. Just let me talk to someone."

The operator seemed hesitant, and continued to ask if he was sure he didn't need an ambulance or anything, but Naruto managed to calm down enough to convince her he was fine and just needed to talk to someone at the hospital. After what felt like forever, he was patched through.

"Hi, I need to talk to..." he trailed off. He'd been hell-bent on asking for Shizune, but now that he was speaking to someone from the hospital, he remembered she wasn't there anymore. She was gone on her little trip thing, probably with Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"_Hello, sir? I didn't catch that, who are you looking for?"_

"I want to know if—Can you tell me about Kiba Inuzuka."

"_I'm sorry, sir, but we're not allowed to disclose any information about our patients."_

"No, I-I get that, I just..." Naruto leaned his forehead against the dirty glass of the phonebooth, closing his eyes. "Can I talk to his doctor? I know Shizune Kimeda personally, but she's—she's gone or something, I don't know. Can I talk to whoever replaced her?"

"_Certainly, though he won't tell you more than I have. What name?"_

"I'm sorry?"

"_What name? So I can tell him who's calling?"_

Naruto blurted out the first name that came to mind. "Kankurou."

"_Oh! Mr. Sabaku! I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you! I'll get the doctor right away!"_

Naruto froze when he was put on hold, music far too happy for a hospital's waiting line playing in his ear. Why did this woman know Kankurou? Of all the fucking people he could've said he was, why did he end up choosing someone they recognized? Fuck!

Before he could decide what to do, the line clicked again and a voice answered.

"_Hi, Kankurou. Sorry about the nurse, you didn't tell her it was you. I did, however, inform you that I would let you know if there were any changes in his condition."_

The blond was silent for a second before deciding to go for it. How well could this guy know Kankurou, anyway?

"I was just concerned about him, I felt like something had happened."

There was a pause.

"_Are you okay, Kankurou? You sound... different."_

"Yeah, I just... I have a cold." Naruto coughed, trying to make it phlegmy so it would sound more believable.

Another pause.

"_I'm the doctor who delivered all three of the Sabaku children, I've known them their entire lives, and was even hired to tend to Mr. Inuzuka by Kankurou himself, so don't even try to pretend you're him. Who is this?"_

Okay, well, _that_ totally fell through... but Naruto wasn't going to give up.

Letting out a sigh, and rubbing his head on the glass of the booth some more, he closed his eyes and tightened his hand on the receiver.

"I just need to know," he whispered. "I need to know if Kiba's okay. If he's... if he's ever going to wake up. I need to know."

There was another pause on the other end, and maybe it was the way Naruto was speaking, or maybe it was the fact that his voice had cracked, he had no idea, but the doctor let out a small sigh and spoke.

"_He's going to be fine. His vitals are good, and the kid's tough. His mother is berating him in his sleep, so God knows the kid's gonna wake himself up just to make her stop."_ Naruto could hear the smile in his voice. _"He's going to wake up, son. Might not be today, or tomorrow, but eventually, he will."_

Naruto licked his lips, feeling a small weight lifting off his chest. "Thank you. I just... In case, you know, I was just wondering, what's the security like at the hospital?"

This time, when the doctor paused, Naruto could tell he was suspicious.

"_What exactly are you asking?"_

"Say, for example, I just—say someone came into the hospital, and wanted to kill one of the patients, would they—I mean, how far would they make it? Would they get caught?"

Okay, so in retrospect, that probably hadn't been such a good idea to ask.

"_Who is this?"_

Naruto knew the doctor was seconds away from calling the cops to have the number traced, so he just hung up. Hopefully, whatever happened, the doctor would get paranoid and think someone was out to kill Kiba—which, realistically, was totally possible—and would have security doubled on him.

Especially if he was doing this as a favour to Kankurou.

Naruto let his head rest against the phone for a few seconds, and then, his fist lashed out and smashed through one of the plastic panels of the phonebooth.

Pain exploded up his arm, and the blond sank to the ground, cradling his injured hand to his chest, and resisting the urge to fall to pieces. It would be so easy to just break apart and turn into a vegetable. He didn't know what he had left to live for anymore.

Sasuke was gone, and he probably wasn't ever coming back, no matter what Pein said.

Kiba was unconscious, and would most likely remain unconscious until his late thirties, with Naruto's luck.

All of his friends hated him, because he'd been such a dick lately. Nevermind that he'd done it to save them all the pain of the separation later, it still sucked and he still hated it.

He just wanted to sleep. Sleep and never wake up. That or just get a hit. Just one hit. Just to feel good for a few hours. He just needed to stop feeling like this.

Raising his head so he could proceed to break his hand some more, he paused, jerking slightly, startled, when he saw someone standing right beside the entrance to the phonebooth he was wallowing in.

Blue eyes stared up into an emerald gaze before slowly, Gaara held out a single piece of paper. Naruto frowned, staring at it, then reached up to take it. Once he did, the redhead let it go, and started walking away.

"You woke everyone up when you left. Try to be more quiet next time."

Naruto stared at his retreating back, confused, and watched the other walk away until the darkness swallowed him.

Looking down at the piece of paper he'd been given, he slowly began unfolding it, and his eyes widened at the message. Not because it was meant to hurt him. Not because it was going to fuck him over.

But just because he felt like he really didn't have the hang of this whole friendship thing.

_We know. Do what you need to do._

* * *

"Do you think you could maybe not break yourself more when you're already so damn broken?" Sai muttered, annoyed, while sitting on the bathroom floor picking glass out of Naruto's feet.

When the other had rushed out of the house, Sai had been in agent mode and had been forced to remind himself who Naruto was, and that shooting him while he ran down the street wasn't a good idea.

By the time the thought had occurred to him, he'd lost sight of the blond, and had then spent the next hour pacing in the entrance. When Naruto had finally returned, leaving a lovely set of bloodied footprints in his wake, Sai had had the pleasure of yelling at him for exactly two seconds before realizing he was bleeding and cradling his hand, and had brought him into the bathroom on the main level.

"It doesn't even really hurt anymore," the blond whispered, icing his knuckles while Sai continued to pick the smallest pieces of glass he could find from the blond's left foot. "I think I'm going numb."

"That's because your body can't handle the pain and is trying to shut itself down," the agent muttered. "We're doing all this to save your boyfriend's life, moron, try and be in one piece when he gets out, please."

Sai had been expecting another "Sasuke's dead" retort, which had become oh-so-common lately, but when the other didn't say anything, he glanced up at him.

"Are you okay?"

"What in my life makes you think I could ever be okay?" Naruto asked, shifting the ice on his hand. "I feel like God put me on this earth to fuck me over for his own sick amusement. Especially considering Kiba found out about what was happening, and got shot. Now Gaara says he and the others know."

Would've been news to Sai, if he hadn't seen the sheet of paper Naruto had been clutching when he'd returned. Truthfully, considering how everyone was acting with him, Sai figured that the others, at the very least, suspected something was going on. First with Sasuke leaving out of the blue, then Sai's arrival—which, in and of itself, was a giant "warning!" flashing neon sign—and Kiba getting shot, then finally Genma being accused of sexual abuse.

Naruto's friends weren't all geniuses, but none of them were _that_ stupid.

Sai was just hoping that Pein wasn't smart enough to know that, or the hospital was going to need a lot more beds.

Or more room in their morgue...

"Why are they doing this?" Naruto whispered.

"Pein and his cronies?" Sai inquired, frowning slightly and digging a little further than he'd have liked for a piece of glass that was stubbornly staying put in the other's skin.

"No, Gaara, and Hinata, and just... everyone. Why are they still my friends after everything?"

That gave Sai pause, and he looked up at the blond, seeing his shoulders shaking, head bowed and bangs covering his face. He knew he wasn't crying, but to be honest, Sai wouldn't have blamed him if he was.

"Naruto, you're not a bad person," he insisted, knowing that the blond would never believe that himself. "You're an amazing person, who's gone through so much in so short a time, none of which you deserved. Bad things happen to people every day, you just tend to get more of it than most people do. But God won't throw more than you can handle at you."

"If there is a God, he hates me," the blond whispered.

"He won't throw more than he knows you can handle," Sai repeated. "And if he does, then that's where everyone comes in. Me, and Gaara, and Neji, and everyone else. They're there to help you get through everything. They can't openly support you, because they can see that you're pushing them away on purpose, but they know you're not doing anything of your own volition, and they will forever forgive you for anything you do right now."

"I don't know how they can decide that," the blond snorted. "I'll never forgive myself. I never have for last year, and I never will for this year."

"No one ever hated you for what happened last year, Naruto. You know that, right?"

Naruto just shrugged, avoiding Sai's gaze. "I don't deserve anyone's forgiveness."

"The self-pity thing is getting old," Sai informed him, returning to his task at hand. "You used to be stronger than this."

"When have I ever been stronger than this?" Naruto snapped.

Sai looked up at him again. "When you quit heroin."

That seemed to snap Naruto out of his self-pity, the blond staring at him almost confused.

"You think it's easy to just up and quit like that? That takes an enormous amount of strength, and you did it all by yourself."

"No I didn't, I had _him_." Naruto's gaze lowered. "I had Sasuke."

"He helped, I'll give him that, but nobody could've forced you to stop unless you wanted to stop. Your own want over your body's supposed needs just proves how strong you were. You overcame that, you brought down the Vancouver Akatsuki branch, and _when_ we get Sasuke back, I promise I'll give you an hour in a private room with Pein."

Naruto snorted. "Make it two, and you've got a deal."

Sai smiled at that, and returned to the arduous task of removing tiny particles of nothingness from the other's feet.

That was when the doorbell rang.

They both glanced at the door, then shared a look. It was late, and given they knew the blond's friends weren't going to be coming over, they weren't sure who it could possibly be.

Standing, Sai motioned for Naruto to stay where he was, and went to the door. He peeked through the side window, and let out a curse when he saw who it was before plastering a grin on his face and pulling open the door.

"Suigetsu. This is a surprise. Naruto's only just barely completed the last task, you can't have another one already."

"Exams are coming up." Suigetsu pushed himself into the unit, walking up the short steps to the living room and heading for the television. "We have a special task just for that special occasion. Wake up blondie."

"I'm already awake." Naruto's voice preceded him, the blond walking into the room.

Sai's eyes moved to the other's feet, but if they were hurting him, he didn't say anything. He just walked towards the couch, leaving bloody footprints in the carpet, and sat down.

Suigetsu eyed him briefly, before frowning at the blood on the floor, and the ice at the other's hand. "Not that it's my job, or my business, but are you okay?"

"Play the fucking video."

Suigetsu snorted and tossed the DVD to Sai, who caught it and moved towards the player. He popped it in while Naruto turned on the television, and then went to sit beside the blond, resisting the urge to grab the other's hand or something.

Each video seemed to be harder and harder on him. At least the last task hadn't seemed to affect him so much, all he'd done was steal a few documents from some higher ups from some random company. Sai felt that one had been more selfish on Pein's part than actually torturing Naruto, but he was glad the other had gotten a bit of a break.

Stealing those files had barely affected him, which was to be expected when considered with everything else he'd been forced to do of late.

Of course, nothing was ever that simple for Naruto Uzumaki. Poor kid couldn't go one fricken' week without the sky falling on him. As evidenced by the video now playing for their entertainment.

Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, but Pein generally didn't feel like he needed to show him to Naruto unless he felt the blond was getting a bit out of line. So far, he'd behaved, and thus, no Sasuke.

Sai was sure Naruto hadn't figured that out yet, otherwise he'd have messed up long ago.

"_Hello Naruto. Welcome to your next task," _Pein said pleasantly on the screen.

Sai noticed Naruto was almost smiling at the fact that the man had bandages on his nose, and severe bruising. The last video had been too dark to notice them.

"_It has come to my attention that perhaps people are not as... hateful towards you as they should be."_

Uh oh, that didn't sound good. Sai only hoped Pein hadn't found out about Gaara's note.

"_As such, my next task is going to ensure your solitude. Just because I'm nice that way and want to help you out during these difficult times."_

"Can we fast forward, or something? I'm bored," Naruto muttered.

Sai shot him a look, telling him not to test Pein's patience. Suigetsu was going to be reporting back, and it would be in his best interest not to antagonize the older man.

"_I've chosen the perfect task for you for exam period. It'll even help ensure you pass all your own finals!"_

Oh, Sai really wasn't liking this... Especially with the way Pein was suddenly grinning.

"_I hear... that you say everything is always okay in the end, and if it's not okay, then it's not the end."_ A dark laugh. _"Let's see if you still think so when this is over."_


	15. Rage

**Disclaimer: K. Masashi got another restraining order. You'd think he'd have learned from the first three that those do nothing. It's a piece of paper. Paper is flammable.**

* * *

Hinata pressed her lips together, staring down at the paper in front of her, and trying to remember which of the two answers she'd narrowed it down to were the right ones. Evidently, she was concerned that she would get it wrong, and while that wouldn't be the end of the world on an exam, she definitely didn't want to kill someone because she couldn't remember which dosage of a drug she should be giving them.

Looking up at the professor surveying the front of the room, she looked back down at her pharmacology exam and frowned. Finally deciding on an answer, and really hoping she wouldn't have just killed someone in real life, she circled her choice and moved on to the next question.

Glancing up at the clock, she tried not to think of the fact that visiting hours were almost over. She hadn't gotten to see Kiba very much today, and the knowledge that he was lying unconscious in bed with only his hysterical mother trying to wake him was disconcerting. No offense to the woman, she was perfectly nice, but Hinata would feel inclined not to wake up, either, if she had someone like that yelling at her all the time. The woman was a little nuts.

The door at the back of the room opened, but Hinata kept her gaze focussed on her exam, having already wasted time thinking about Kiba, though who could really blame her?

The temporary president of UBC—some elderly gentleman named San Sarutobi, who apparently had been the president before Tsunade had taken over—descended the stairs, walking to the front of the class.

Though a few people looked up, Hinata kept her gaze focussed on her paper, working diligently to try and ensure she finished it before the time ran out. And, if possible, before visiting hours ended so she could at least say goodnight to Kiba.

Footsteps made their way back up the stairs and Hinata was startled when her exam paper was pulled from her grip and ripped in half, the petite student staring in shock at the angered look on her professor's face.

"That was hardly necessary," Mr. Sarutobi snapped, then turned to Hinata, smiling sadly. "Ms. Hyuuga, could you please come with me?"

Startled, and resisting the urge to start hyperventilating, she nodded slowly, looking back at her exam paper, the two pieces clenched in either hand of her professor. Gathering her things and standing, she could hear people whispering before one shout from the professor made everyone jump and return to their exams.

Hinata glanced over her shoulder one last time before exiting the room, following the president down the corridor. Her hands tightened nervously around her backpack's strap, the girl wishing more than anything that it was Tsunade, and not this stranger, leading her down the corridor.

Though he seemed nice enough, she was a lot more comfortable with the blond's somewhat guardian. Even though it wasn't common knowledge, she and Tsunade—mostly because of Kiba—were fairly close. She missed the woman, and hoped that wherever she'd gone to for this all to blow over, she was all right.

The president didn't say a word the entire way out of the building and along the streets, leading her back to Brock Hall, where his temporary office was. She followed him in, and shut the door behind herself when she was prompted to. Sitting down across from him, she wrung her hands together.

"I'm sorry we have to meet under such circumstances, Ms. Hyuuga. Tsunade has had nothing but praise when she spoke of you."

"Thank you, sir," she said in a low voice, still wringing her hands nervously.

Sighing and leaning forward in his chair, the older man folded his hands together. "I understand that Nursing can be a very difficult faculty. Not only do you need to pass the first four prerequisite years, but then you have an additional four years in a nursing school before interning in a hospital."

"Yes, sir," she said again, feeling bile rising in her throat at what she could see sitting on the man's desk.

She now knew why she was here, and no matter what she said, she knew he wouldn't believe her. A part of her wondered if this was Naruto's doing, before deciding it had to be. Kiba had gotten shot, so in retrospect, she was getting the better deal.

And while she wanted to hate him for it, she knew he had no choice. She knew he was trying to protect them. That he was going to hate himself more than Hinata would have had she not known this was done against his will.

The man pushed the piece of paper in front of him forward, sighing sadly. Hinata stared down at the exam's answer sheet, eyes unconsciously moving to look at the last question she'd been struggling on.

Small consolation that she'd gotten it right.

"This was found in your room, Ms. Hyuuga. As I'm sure you're aware, plagiarism and cheating are frowned upon at every university in Canada, and the world. I'm very sorry to have to do this, you seem like a very nice girl."

"Yes, sir," she said again, feeling tears beginning to force themselves from her eyes.

"Hinata Hyuuga, you've been expelled."

* * *

"I'm going to _rip_ his fucking head off!"

"Don't do anything stupid!"

"He's fucking _dead_! He is _dead_! I don't fucking care why this happened, I'm going to kill him!"

To say that Gaara was a little bit shocked when he walked into his unit would be an understatement, but as usual, he didn't let the expression show on his features. He just watched Kankurou practically get dragged across the floor, his brother holding onto Neji's legs while Chouji and Shikamaru struggled to hold him back by the arms.

Lee was sitting on the couch with Tenten, Temari and Hinana, all trying to console the Hyuuga. Ino and Sakura were in the kitchen, apparently making tea or something, though Sakura kept casting glances at Neji, as if wanting to flip out at him, but understanding his anger at the same time.

"What happened?"

Gaara's voice seemed to calm Neji instantly, the other freezing, staring hatefully into the redhead's hard eyes.

"Naruto got Hinata expelled for cheating."

"We don't know it was him," Hinata said in a quiet voice from the couch.

"Bullshit! It was him! You don't cheat!"

Gaara took three steps and was right in front of Neji. The Hyuuga's head snapped back slightly, as if having anticipated being punched, but Gaara didn't. He just stood in front of his friend, and stared into his eyes.

"What happened with Hinata can be fixed. When this is over, when Tsunade returns, it will be fixed. For now, she will return home, and you can find solace in the knowledge that there, she will be safe. You do not need to inform her father she was expelled, he does not know Tsunade has left. Simply tell him she has offered Hinata some leave due to the stress of Kiba having been shot. When this is over, this will be fixed."

"How could he _do_ this to her?" Neji demanded angrily. "To Hinata! Why did he choose her, hasn't she suffered enough? With Kiba in the hospital, don't you think he could have chosen someone else? Like you, or me, or—or _anyone_?"

Before Gaara could say anything, the other boy's head jerked to the side, stunned silence following the loud smack from a hand hitting him across the face.

"How dare you?"

Gaara could see Hinata shaking, but he suspected it was more from anger than anything else. Her hands had balled into fists at her side, and Temari moved up to place a comforting hand on her shoulder before she decided to start ripping Neji a new one.

"How dare you say I've suffered enough when compared to what has happened to Naruto?"

Neji just stared at his cousin, as if still unable to understand what she was saying. As if unable to understand why she was so angry that he was mad about what had happened.

"Naruto did not choose for this to happen. Maybe he didn't even have the luxury of choosing who it would happen _to_, but you need to understand something that I would have thought you, of all people, would know." She paused, as if giving Neji time to think it over. When he said nothing, she continued. "Naruto hates himself more than we hate him right now. Which is easy, considering _I'm_ the one who got expelled, and I don't hate him at all." She brought her hands up, clutching them together and pressing them against her chest. Gaara suspected she was trying to calm herself down.

"As much as it would be easy to blame Naruto, this isn't his fault," Temari agreed, her voice low. "Genma's in jail, and Raidou hasn't even so much as glared at him. Kiba got shot, and the person suffering the most over that wasn't even allowed to go and visit him in the hospital. Do you really think that Naruto is sitting in his unit right now, laughing while having a beer with Sai over having gotten Hinata expelled?"

Neji said nothing, he just scowled at the ground angrily.

"This will be fixed," Gaara said again, eyes narrowing. "So when you go over to yell at him, do it convincingly, but if you truly hate him, then know that when you return, I'm going to kill you."

The other boy's head shot up at Gaara's words, but whether it was because he'd been told to go and yell at Naruto, or because he'd been told he was going to die if he meant anything he yelled at him, Gaara didn't know.

"Wait, you—_want_ him to go yell at Naruto?" Kankurou asked, confused, still on the ground.

"If he doesn't, don't you think that would seem a little odd?" Gaara glanced down at his brother, then looked back up at Neji, because Kankurou looked ridiculous sprawled out on the floor like he was. "These people, whoever they are, want Naruto to feel alone, and friendless, and are doing everything in their power to make him do things he does not want to do. If we let this slide, as if Hinata's expulsion wasn't important, they'll know that we know, and we'll follow Kiba to the hospital, though we may not all be so lucky to end up in a coma."

Those words seemed to snap everyone out of their little fantasy that they could pretend to hate Naruto so easily. He didn't understand how none of them had considered this, especially Shikamaru, who was meant to be a genius.

"I have to yell at him," Neji said slowly. "But if I mean it, you'll kill me."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "You have to mean it to others watching. You have to mean it to Naruto. But understand yourself that he didn't do this of his own volition, so whatever you say, you cannot mean it to yourself."

Whether it had been Gaara's own words, or Hinata's from a few minutes prior, the redhead didn't know, but Neji let out a slow breath and nodded, pulling one arm free from Shikamaru to rub at his face.

"Okay. I understand, I just need a minute to calm down, and then—"

Neji was cut off by a phone ringing. Everyone paused for a second, trying to establish where it had come from. When it rang again, Kankurou shifted on the floor, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and putting it to his ear.

"Hello?" There was a pause as he listened, then his eyes widened. "I'll be right there." He hung up and jumped to his feet, turning to grin at Hinata.

"What is it?" Gaara demanded, taking a step forward.

"It's Kiba. He's awake."

* * *

When the pounding against his front door finally came, Naruto felt nauseous. He knew it would come. He knew that his friends would know he'd done this, and he felt sick. It was bad enough having to put Genma in jail for something he'd never done, and now he'd gotten Hinata expelled for something _she'd_ never done!

Rubbing his face with both hands, procrastinating answering the door, the pounding started up again, coming harder, the action actually causing the door to shake. Plastering a bored expression onto his face, Naruto let out a slow breath, then pulled it open, looking out at Neji.

"What?"

He didn't even try to dodge the blow he got to the face, slamming backwards into the wall before Sai appeared beside him and pushed Neji back.

"How could you fucking do that?" Neji hollered, struggling against Sai. "How could you lie about something like this? I'll fucking _kill_ you!"

"It's not my fault your cousin's a cheater," Naruto snapped, wiping blood from his lips with his bandaged hand. "Maybe next time she decides to cheat, she should try harder not to get caught."

Neji redoubled his efforts to get past Sai, and Naruto just watched him struggle, knowing the agent would never budge. Naruto himself had tried that when Kiba had gotten shot, and all it had earned him was being knocked unconscious.

"My cousin isn't a cheater, you're a fucking _liar_! I'm going to rip your throat out! Don't ever go anywhere alone ever again, Uzumaki, because if you do, I'll fucking _murder_ you!"

"Neji!" Kankurou's voice sounded from a little further away. "Forget that bastard, and let's go! Hinata wants to go see Kiba before he passes out again!"

Naruto felt like the floor had fallen out from under him at those words. Neji just pointed at him, said he was dead one more time, then turned and disappeared from sight. Sai closed the door and turned to the blond. His lips were moving, but Naruto couldn't hear him.

"He's awake?" Naruto asked nobody in particular. "Kiba's awake?"

A sharp slap to the face startled him back into the present, Sai watching him, concerned.

"Sorry," Naruto said, laughing slightly and rubbing his face. "What did you say?"

"I asked if your face was okay."

The blond stared for a second, then reached up and touched his cheek. It hurt, but he'd had worse. Far worse. Now that he wasn't busy trying to not break down in front of Neji, his back was making itself known from having fallen back against the wall.

"He didn't mean what he said, you know. He was acting."

"I think he meant a bit of it," Naruto whispered, smiling slightly. "But that's okay. I understand. And I know he forgives me at least a tiny bit, otherwise they wouldn't have coordinated that so perfectly, with Kankurou screaming that Kiba was awake as a means to make Neji leave."

Sai smiled a little and pulled at Naruto's arm, helping the blond walk back up towards the living room. With his back injury, his feet messed up, a broken hand and a sore cheek, Naruto was starting to wonder if he was going to make it into the Guinness book of world records for most injuries sustained at any given time.

"You can't see him."

"I know," Naruto snapped, struggling not to let that knowledge upset him. "I don't care. He's awake, that's all that matters to me."

He was glad that the same day something horrible had happened to Hinata, something amazing had happened, as well. And truthfully, he was jealous Kiba's coma had lasted so little time. Sasuke's had been almost six months, and Kiba's had been just over one. That didn't seem fair to him.

Then again, what about his life was fair? He was lucky he managed to wake up every morning, at this point. And he couldn't help but feel a little bit relieved that Hinata would have something so good to focus on that she wouldn't think about what had happened to her at school.

"This will blow over, Naruto. This will get fixed," Sai reassured him.

"I know that," he whispered. "I just wonder sometimes if it'll be worth fixing." He stood and started for the stairs to go back to his room, ignoring the pain in his feet. "It'll just be all nice and pretty for someone else to come along and break it apart again. Maybe it would just be easier if things stayed broken."

* * *

If there was one thing that could wake someone up without fail, it was indescribable agony. Especially when someone was shaking you while you were experiencing said indescribable agony. But as soon as Kiba heard the voice attached to the shaking, he understood. And while he didn't know how long he'd been unconscious—long enough for a plane to fly his psychotic mother across the country, at least—he still remembered that he'd been shot, and that the shaking really wasn't helping.

"Momma?" he forced out, feeling her hands leave him instantly. He could feel air forcing itself into his lungs, the action uncomfortable, and the air stale, but he tried his best to resist reaching up and yanking the respirator out, if only because he knew it was helping keep him alive.

He heard his mother scream something, but his brain was still too muddled to acknowledge what it was. Forcing his eyes open, and seeing nothing but a blinding whiteness, he worried for a second that maybe he'd gone blind before realizing he was staring right into the light in the ceiling, and shifted his gaze to the hysterical woman standing beside him.

"Kiba? Baby? Are you awake? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah I can hear you," he muttered, trying to shove at her, but his arm took a bit to respond to his request, and by the time he had it up, someone was pulling her backwards and another figure came into sight.

The man was speaking while shining a light into his eyes, checking his vitals and ordering people around, but most of his words were such technical jargon that he may as well have been speaking Greek, for all Kiba knew. So he just waited and let the man prod at him for a few seconds before finally asking,

"Who are you?"

"Oh God, he has amnesia!" His mother wailed.

"Momma, I don't have amnesia," Kiba said dryly, really wishing someone would take her away for a few minutes. He'd spent his entire life putting up with her freaking out like this, waking up in the hospital with a hole in his chest and her freaking out beside him hadn't exactly been what he'd had in mind for their reunion.

Not that he wasn't happy to see her, she was just giving him a migraine.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me," the doctor laughed slightly. "My name is Dr. Yashamaru, I'm Kankurou, Gaara and Temari's uncle. They asked me to check in on you when your other doctor was called away on urgent business."

"Oh," Kiba said with a frown, then reached up and poked lightly at his chest, hissing. "Ow. But not as 'ow' as I thought it would feel. You'd think getting shot in the chest would hurt more."

The doctor watched him for a few seconds, then motioned for the nurses to leave the room, pulling Mrs. Inuzuka with them.

Kiba was grateful, though wondered if they'd let her stay once she started pulling on the doorjamb. Luckily, they got her out and shut the door.

"Kiba, what do you remember? About what happened?"

"Not much," he said with a shrug, then winced when pain shot through his body. "Ow. Note to self: don't shrug."

Dr. Yashamaru chuckled and patted Kiba's shoulder. "That would be wise, yes."

Kiba let out a slow breath, feeling his chest constrict from the pain, but he tried to ignore it and answer the man's question. "I remember... talking to Kankurou. No wait, it was Gaara." He frowned. "No, I was talking to Gaara, _then_ I was talking to Kankurou, and then..." He reached up to touch his chest again. "I thought I was dead."

"You were very lucky. It just barely missed your heart."

"Oh." Kiba didn't know what else he should be saying about it. That seemed like the best course of action.

"As for why your chest doesn't hurt as much as you'd anticipated—"

"Hey, don't get me wrong, it still hurts," Kiba insisted.

The doctor chuckled again. "Yes, I would imagine, but the reason it hurts less than you anticipated is because it's had... a while to heal."

Kiba didn't like the sounds of that. "How long was I out?"

"A little bit over a month," the doctor informed him.

The brunet let out a relieved sigh, which _also_ hurt his chest. He was starting to wonder if anything wouldn't hurt. "Oh, only? That's good."

"You're... taking this remarkably well."

"I had a friend who was in a coma for half a year," Kiba informed him. "He woke up with amnesia, so considering, a month unconscious in a bed without feeling any pain, and waking up remembering my own name, I'm pretty happy." He grinned.

A knock at the door made the two turn to look at it, and a nurse popped her head in, whispering that the police were there. Kiba's face fell when he realized why, exactly, the police was there. Shit, he'd just barely woken up, his brain didn't have the ability to think up a suitable lie right now!

_Well, you better think of one fast, or else Naruto's screwed!_

The thought of Naruto just reminded him why he'd gotten shot in the first place. He hoped his friend was okay. And everyone else, for that matter.

"The police had requested they be informed when you woke up. You're not in any trouble, they just wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened and who did this."

Kiba forced a smile. "I'll help how I can, but I doubt I'll be able to tell them much. I don't know who did this, or why." He hoped the lie didn't look as obvious as he felt it sounded.

"Then that's all they can ask of you," the doctor said with another smile. "I should go call my nephew. He promised I would die a horrible death if you woke up and I didn't inform him. I'll do that while you speak to the police."

"Yes sir."

The doctor stood and left the room, motioning two police officers in. He assumed they were either off duty, or they didn't wear uniforms anymore, because neither of them were in uniform. They were both wearing suits.

When the door shut, he frowned slightly at them both, unsure why, but not feeling the "cop" vibe very much. Slowly, he worried that perhaps they were there to kill him, but even if they did, it wasn't like they'd get out of the building. He could see another cop—this one _in_ uniform—through the window that looked over his room, so the second they shot him, he would know.

"No offense," Kiba said slowly, eying the man who'd just taken a seat beside him, "but aren't you a little old to be a cop?"

"You're definitely Naruto's friend," the purple-haired woman behind the older man said with a snort. "Same disrespect for authority."

Kiba frowned. "You're... not cops."

"No." The older man crossed his legs, getting comfortable. "My name is Homura Mitokado. I'm Sai's boss."

"CSIS," Kiba said slowly.

"We understand your confusion as to why we're here—"

"Not really," Kiba interrupted. "I got shot because of something that happened with Naruto, I kind of _do_ understand."

Homura smiled at him. "I suppose you would. We just have a few questions for you with regard to what Mr. Uzumaki has been doing before your unfortunate accident."

"What's it to you?" Kiba crossed his arms. "Doesn't Sai report back or something?"

"He's undercover," the woman said, making Kiba's eyes shift back to her. "He hasn't been able to inform us of much. We'd like to know what you know."

Kiba eyed them a few seconds longer, then said, "Show me your credentials."

"Excuse me?" Homura asked, as if no one had dared ask to see his credentials before.

"If I'm gonna spill on what I know, I need proof I'm spilling to people who aren't actually on the bad guy's team. So show 'em, or leave."

The woman snorted before laughing a little, reaching into her jacket. "He even sounds like Naruto. Kid's got spunk. If things fall through for Sai, at least he can try with him."

"Hey!" Kiba snapped. "I'm straight and have a girlfriend!"

"Whatever, loudmouth." She held up a badge and Kiba squinted, trying to shift closer so he could see it, but giving up when his chest twinged. The man did the same and Kiba nodded, satisfied that they weren't the bad guys.

"Whatever happens in this room, Mr. Inuzuka, for Naruto's safety, you cannot speak to him about it."

"No problem there," Kiba snorted. "Naruto's not gonna visit."

"Why's that?" The man asked, though Kiba could tell the woman already knew. It made him wonder if maybe Sai _was_ reporting back, just not to the right person, and he would have to watch what he said.

"Naruto's not allowed to see me. He's supposed to hate me."

* * *

The sound of a bowl clattering loudly woke Sasuke from his sleep, and the raven managed to roll over quickly before Juugo dropped the bucket of water on him. He turned to glare at the other, glad he'd missed even though a bit of his pants had gotten wet and reached for the bowl, bringing it closer to himself and beginning to eat.

It was oatmeal. Again. He was getting used to it, though, and at least it was filling, so he could last between meals. Shovelling another spoonful into his mouth, he looked up at Juugo, who was staring down at him, bucket still held in his hand.

"Can I help you?"

The other man just scowled and turned to leave, Sasuke returning to his meal. It really sucked that Juugo never left the stupid building, because if not for him, then he'd have tried to escape a long time ago. He just wasn't all that good with meeting the other's fist with his face, and the one time Juugo had been gone, Sasuke had gotten tied up beforehand and hadn't had the ability to even try to escape.

Not to mention they had Naruto and fuck if Sasuke would've attempted to escape during that. He'd almost died as it was.

Sasuke's hands clenched around his bowl, remembering the way Naruto had sounded on the phone. He hadn't answered his question, but at least Sasuke knew he would be all right. His voice, the way he'd said his name...

He missed him. Sasuke missed Naruto in ways he didn't even think was possible. Despite their fight, despite Naruto's words—which he knew the blond hadn't meant—despite whether they were apart because he was kidnapped or not... Sasuke knew without a shadow of a doubt that he and Naruto had always, in some way, been meant to be together.

Corny as the thought was, he knew it was true. They'd forever been drawn together. Even when they hated one another in first year, they'd been drawn together. Naruto had pretty much gone gay for him. Even when Sasuke had had amnesia, and hadn't remembered Naruto, everyone told him that he'd still wanted him.

Everything about them proved that they were two pieces to a puzzle, and nothing was going to keep them apart, not even this. Naruto would succeed, he would get him out, and then they'd fucking move to the middle of nowhere and grow old and die together, just like the universe had planned for them.

"You're looking awfully pensive."

Sasuke jumped, looking up. He hadn't heard Pein enter, he'd been so lost in thought.

"Just trying to picture all the different ways Naruto and I are going to kill you," Sasuke informed him before spooning more oatmeal into his mouth.

Pein stared down at him dispassionately, and sometimes, Sasuke really had to wonder if he had multiple personalities because he was always so one-eighty. He'd be completely ridiculous and happy one minute, and then like this the next. Maybe that was what running an entire operation like this did. It turned you insane.

"Good luck with that, Uchiha," Pein bent down in front of Sasuke, and surveyed him.

The raven cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing. He'd learned a while ago that pissing off Pein meant hurting Naruto, and he was smart enough not to try that again.

"You know Konan wants Naruto to die, right?" he asked the other man, honestly curious as to whether that had occurred to him or not.

"She sees him as a reminder of the woman I admired. It annoys her."

"And what do you see him as?" Sasuke asked, watching him closely. "The son that should have been yours?"

Oddly enough, he'd been expecting a smack for that comment, but he didn't get one. Pein's gaze just hardened and he got to his feet, turning to leave the room, only furthering Sasuke's suspicions.

"You know, if you let me go, maybe things could work out?"

Sure, it was a long shot, but he took it anyway.

"What?" Pein turned to him with a smirk. "And end the game? I don't think so."

The door shut and Sasuke let out a sigh, shaking his head and looking down into his oatmeal. He honestly wondered if he was ever going to get out of here.

* * *

Naruto's head snapped up from the living room where he was watching television when he heard a knock at the door. He started to stand to get it, but Sai was already halfway there, throwing open the door once he reached it.

"Hiya, Naruto!" Suigetsu waved amicably while walking into the apartment, holding a box of pizza.

Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously, then shot to Sai, who looked just as confused as he did. Fixating back on the murderer, he watched him walk into the living room, drop the pizza on the table, and fall down beside Naruto with a groan.

"So, what are we watching?"

"Presumably, the new DVD you have," Naruto said, waiting for him to pull it out.

"Huh?" Suigetsu looked at him. "Oh, I'm not here for Pein. I got bored hanging out with him, Juugo and Konan. They're kinda emo, if you know what I mean." He grinned. "You guys are more fun, so I thought I'd come by. I even brought pizza!" He motioned it, which just earned him another suspicious look.

"Why are you here?" Naruto asked again.

"Okay, honestly? You guys are the closest friends I have right now. Let's watch some TV or something." Suigetsu grabbed the remote from Naruto, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table and starting to channel surf. He stopped on Baywatch. "Oh, this looks promising. Wait, you're into dudes, right?" he asked, turning to Naruto.

The blond was about to protest that just because he dated Sasuke didn't mean he didn't like women, but the other was already flipping through the channels, as if Naruto's opinion really mattered to him.

Naruto could see Sai doing something out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He was just angling his phone weird, pretending to be watching the television screen. It took the blond a second to realize he was taking a picture, and he really hoped he didn't get caught. It would be hard to explain that.

Furthermore, he hoped that when he went to look up Suigetsu, nobody asked him any questions. He knew Sai would have to go to the office to look him up in some kind of database, but if the rest of his team caught on, Naruto was kicking him out.

Fuck if he was going to have CSIS mess everything up.

"Oh, horror movie. How about that?" Suigetsu turned to Naruto again, then frowned. "Hm, actually, considering how your year's been, probably not too into the blood and gore." He changed the channel again. "Oh, Spongebob!"

Naruto gave Sai another weird look, but the agent was just as clueless, if the look on his face was any indication. So, apparently, Sai did the only thing he thought was suitable.

"Want a beer?" he asked Suigetsu, which earned him a glare from Naruto, but the blond just crossed his arms and slouched in his seat, watching the annoying yellow sponge thing dance around on the screen in front of him while Suigetsu and Sai talked and laughed.

When this was over, Naruto really hoped Suigetsu liked Spongebob, because he was going to lock the guy in a dark room, glue his eyes open, and force him to watch the opening sequence on repeat.

Over, and over, and over.

Only because as much as he hated the man beside him, Naruto still wasn't a murderer, and he wasn't going to let what was happening now change that. Torture he could do, though.

He didn't have to kill anyone if they were just being tortured.


	16. The Only One Who Knew

**AN: K. Masashi's characters.**

* * *

Ever since having woken up, Kiba was jumpy. He knew it was to be expected, considering he'd gotten shot and all, but he had the distinct impression that the nurses kept switching out on him because he was beginning to scare them. That, or he was just really annoying.

Or maybe it was his mother, he still wasn't sure.

"Are you sure you should be sitting up like that, Pookie?"

"Momma," he insisted, motioning Hinata when she called him by his pet name.

"Oh, I'm sure Hinata doesn't mind you being called Pookie, Pookie. I'm sure she has tons of pet names for you."

If Hinata died from how badly she was blushing, Kiba was going to kill his mother.

"Momma, please stop. Besides, I'm not technically sitting up, I'm leaning back, the bed's sitting up for me."

"Don't get smart with me," she warned, reaching forward and wiping at something on his face. He batted her hand away, then hissed, touching his chest.

Tsume slapped his hand away, too.

"Don't _touch_ it, or it won't heal."

"There's bandages on it, I'm not _actually_ touching it!"

"Don't use that tone with me!"

"Momma!" Kiba whined, resisting the urge to make incomprehensible noises of annoyance, but only because Hinata was there. "_This_ is why I never visit! You drive me insane!"

"I know that," Tsume insisted, narrowing her eyes slightly. "It's just—I was so worried about my little baby boy." She reached forward and hugged him tightly, the brunet sighing and rolling his eyes, reaching up one hand to pat her on the back.

"Yes, momma, I know, it was all so very tragic, but I'm fine now. I'm awake, and healthy, and I'll be fine, so you can go home, I'm sure the farm's falling apart without you."

"Oh, your sister can handle it," Tsume insisted, waving her hand while pulling away from him, wiping at her eyes with her other hand. "Besides, I'm not going anywhere until my little boy can pee on his own again. Wanna make sure that catheter didn't mess with your dick so you and your girlfriend can still have kids."

"Mom!" Kiba exclaimed, horrified. Hinata was going beet red again.

"Oh, you're right, what am I thinking." She waggled her finger at him. "You better marry her before thinking of having children, mister."

"Oh my God, you—please leave!" Kiba covered his face with both hands, wondering if the nurses would make her leave if he insisted her presence was messing with his recovery rate.

Hinata stood then, and Kiba's fingers parted to glare at her through them. If she left him alone with his mother, he was going to kill her. Well, he'd kill Neji first, otherwise Neji would kill him for killing her. So, Neji, then Hinata.

"I'm going to the cafeteria to get some coffee, would you like anything Mrs. Inuzuka?"

"Oh, sit down, sweetie," Tsume insisted, getting to her feet. "I'll go get us all some coffee."

"Are you sure? I can—"

"Sit." She motioned for Hinata to sit. "Keep my baby boy entertained. Make sure he's still alive for when I get back." Tsume kissed his forehead, then headed for the door. "What do you like in your coffee, honey?"

"Just black is fine, thank you." Hinata folded her hands in her lap, smiling at the older woman.

"All right, black it is." She left the room, and the second the door shut, Kiba let out a loud whine, trying to dissolve further into the bed.

"I was going to kill you if you left me alone with her."

"I knew she would offer to go for me," Hinata said with a small laugh, inching her chair closer and taking Kiba's hand in one of hers. "She told me a few days ago I look fragile enough to break if you breathe on me too hard."

Kiba scowled at that, not liking his mother saying things like that to his girlfriend. But at least she hadn't scared her off yet. Actually, compared to how she was with his girlfriends at home, she'd been perfectly civil with Hinata. Downright nice, even. Maybe it was because Hinata reminded her of his father. He'd always been a somewhat shy man, which was why Tsume had liked him so much. It complemented her loud, crazy personality rather well. Not that Kiba was really anything like his mother, but he supposed she liked to think so.

Sighing and bringing their clasped hands up to his lips, he kissed the back of Hinata's, and then smiled at her, stroking his thumb along the skin on her hand. "How are you doing? You all right?"

"I'm fine," she reassured with a smile. "I know that when Ms. Tsunade gets back, it means everything will be over and I'll be back at UBC." Her smile faltered at that, as if she wasn't as confident as she claimed to be.

"Hey," Kiba insisted, reaching up with their clasped hands one more to run the back of his own across her cheek. "It'll be okay. You'll get back in. You didn't do this, and Naruto will set it straight."

"I know," she whispered.

"How's he doing, anyway? Naruto. Is he okay?"

Hinata glanced at the door, then licked her lips nervously and moved closer. "Promise you won't tell Neji or Gaara that I told you?"

_Uh oh,_ Kiba thought with a frown. This couldn't be good.

"Of course."

"Sai brought him home a while ago, maybe a week or so before exams, and his back..." She trailed off, as if unable to voice what she was seeing in her head. "His back was completely destroyed," she whispered. "It was... skin was coming off everywhere, and he was bleeding so much I thought... I was sure he was dead."

Kiba's heart stuttered in his chest. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "It looks like someone just... took a knife to his back. Or a chainsaw, or—"

"A whip?"

Hinata stared at him for a second, then nodded slowly. "Actually, yes. It looked like someone had taken a whip to his back."

"Shit," Kiba rubbed his mouth with his free hand. "Well, is he okay now?"

"As okay as he can be," Hinata said with a sad smile. "We're trying to stay out of it. It's clear that's what he wants, so we're trying to help him by staying away from him."

"Fuck," Kiba whispered, shaking his head. "Can't that kid _ever_ catch a break?"

The door flew open then, making them both jump, Tsume smiling in at them. "I found cupcakes!"

_Ugh, can't __**I**__ ever get a break?_ Kiba thought with a sigh, resisting the urge to ask someone to knock him back out.

* * *

As per usual, for Naruto, the worst of all this was the waiting. Having to sit there and pretend like he could keep his mind occupied while all he was really doing was waiting for his next task, waiting to hear back from Suigetsu, waiting for something to happen, just... _waiting_.

Sai had left almost an hour ago to get some information on Suigetsu, but Naruto wasn't expecting him to return any time soon. When Sai went off on CSIS business, he was used to it taking a while for the other to come back. Which was fine with him, really, because constantly listening to him talk about how everything was going to be okay was ridiculously annoying.

If that were true, this entire thing wouldn't have happened. And that whole "God doesn't throw more than he knows you can handle at you" bullshit? He was so angry he wanted to hurt people. But then he also didn't because he was already doing that, so why hurt them even more?

When his phone went off, the Ironman theme song playing loudly from his pocket, the blond jumped before slamming his hand down on it, trying to slow his rapidly beating heart.

Arching his hips and struggling to pull the phone from his pocket, he lifted it up, expecting it to be Sai, but the name he saw gave him pause. Flipping open his phone, he hesitantly brought it to his ear, knowing nothing good was coming.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, Naruto!"_ the other's overly cheerful voice rang down the line. _"I trust you're doing well."_

Naruto was ready to snap, but considering he was still pretty damn broken from everything that had happened to him, he wasn't sure his body could handle any more injuries right now, and he didn't want to have to watch Sasuke get any.

"As well as can be expected," he forced out, listening to Pein laugh on the other end.

"_See, that's the spirit right there. You make me proud, Naruto. You really __**are**__ Minako's son to have answered that so perfectly."_

The blond let out a slow breath, struggling to keep himself calm when all he wanted to do was reach through the phone and strangle the shit out of the other man.

"Can I help you with something?" The last time he'd spoken directly to Pein like this was when he'd found out Sasuke had been taken. He didn't like conversations with this man.

"_Nothing, no. I was just calling to let you know it's that time of year again."_ Naruto frowned at that, trying to think of "what time of year," exactly, it was. _"Christmas!"_

_Right,_ the blond thought, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes with his free hand. He'd almost forgotten about the previous year, when he'd gotten Christmas off.

"_You should know by now that I value Christmas a great deal. It happens to be my favourite holiday. You __**did**__ receive it off last year, did you not?"_

"I did," Naruto affirmed.

"_Of course you did!"_ Naruto hated how fucking happy the prick sounded. _"Because I demanded it! I love Christmas. Best time of year. I'd wish for every day to be Christmas, but then that would mean nothing would get done, so I'll settle for once a year." _He let out a content sigh, and Naruto waited for him to continue.

Because of course, he was going to continue. There was no way that was the only reason he was calling personally.

"_Because I'm such a stellar guy,"_ Naruto tried really hard not to snort, _"I've decided to give you something for Christmas. Like a present. I love presents! Now don't feel the need to return the favour, just accept my gift for what it is. What would you like? Within the realms of the possible, of course, nothing huge like ending world hunger or returning Sasuke, but just something little you can enjoy over the holidays. Something like, I don't know, the ability to skip over a task or changing Suigetsu as your messenger—I know he can get annoying."_

Naruto could tell he was grinning. He was taking pleasure in knowing the only thing Naruto would ask for was Sasuke, and he couldn't ask for that. He didn't _want_ anything else but that, so really, offering him "something little" was cruel. Though really, he shouldn't have expected any less.

"Can I have a minute to think about it?"

"_Of course! Take all the time you need. Call me back when you have it."_ With that, Pein hung up.

Naruto did as well, holding the phone in his hand and staring at the floor. He was trying to think of something important, but nothing that would completely destroy him if he didn't get it, considering he felt that once he called back, Pein was going to yell "Psych!" or something and hang up on him.

He didn't want anything, though. He wanted this game to end. He wanted Sasuke back. He wanted Pein to die. He wanted a lot of things that he knew he couldn't ask for. There was nothing he could possibly ask for—and receive—that would make up for everything that he'd gone through so far.

Was there even anything he wanted over Sasuke's return and Pein's horrible, horrible death? He couldn't think of a single thing that seemed good enough. What could possibly make up for losing Sasuke? He had Sai, he didn't need anything else.

Naruto frowned at his last though, eyes straying towards the front door, and tongue coming out to moisten his lips. There was... one thing. Something he hadn't even really acknowledged all that much until he'd been deprived of it. Someone he unconsciously relied on, probably more than he ever relied on Sai...

But was that even an option? Was that something he felt would destroy him if he got a no? Realistically, didn't everyone already know he didn't mean anything he said or did? Would it kill him if he had to wait a bit longer before he could talk to him?

Pein had said anything small, and that was decently small... kind of. And he'd even be willing to throw in one more task just to get it. He needed this. Much as he hated to admit it, he needed this so much it was painful to think about not getting it. Which was dangerous, and he knew it was dangerous, but fuck if he wasn't going to at least _try_!

Flipping his phone back open and dialling Pein's number, he waited for him to answer.

"_Have you decided?"_

"Yeah, I have." Naruto didn't like how eager Pein sounded. He was going to shoot him down, no matter what he asked for, so he tried not to feel too hopeful. It would just end up kicking him in the teeth in a few seconds. "I found out... I heard recently that—that Kiba woke up." He winced slightly, not knowing that it was a good idea admitting he was still alive and well, though realistically, Pein probably already knew. "I'd like to go and visit him."

"_Oh, Naruto,"_ the other man said with a sigh. As if he was really sad to have to reject his request. What a fucking dick! _"That was one of your tasks, I can't just let you fix what you broke, where's the fun in that? If I let you do that, I might as well call the prison to tell them to release Mr. Shiranui and have Ms. Hyuuga's reputation reinstated."_

Naruto let out a slow breath, closing his eyes. "Please," he whispered. He wasn't past begging, at this point. If it would get him even just five minutes with Kiba, he would beg on his fucking hands and knees. Just for five minutes to tell him how sorry he was. "Please. I'm willing to do another task for it. Anything."

While Naruto knew saying "anything" wasn't the smartest thing in the world, he honestly couldn't think of anything Pein could make him do that he hadn't done already. What more could he possibly think up to torture him? At this point, he felt Pein was going to have a hard time overall finding more tasks for him that would actually affect him.

Pein was silent for a few minutes after that, apparently thinking, and then a small laugh escaped his throat, reverberating down the phone line. Naruto's grip tightened, hoping to God that whatever he got thrown at him wasn't going to mentally destroy him. But even if it did, if he got to see Kiba, it would be worth it. Anything, at this point, would be worth at least seeing Kiba once. Just fucking _once_.

"_Do you want to see your friend so badly, Naruto? That you're willing to do __**anything**__?"_ Pein stressed the last word, and Naruto steeled himself, letting out another breath before nodding resolutely.

"Yes," he answered, with conviction.

"_Hm. All right then. I know exactly what you'll have to do to earn this present. I hadn't considered this at first, because even __**I**__ have my limits, but if you're willing to do __**anything**__..."_ Pein trailed off, but his sadistic smirk was easily heard in his tone.

Naruto closed his eyes, trying to keep himself together. No matter what Pein made him do, he knew it would be worth it. He could take anything just to see Kiba. Because Kiba was the only one who could help him, even if he didn't know he was doing it.

* * *

Naruto walked resolutely after the police officer in front of him, head held high and absolutely no emotions on his face. His heart was trying to beat itself out of his ribcage, but he didn't really pay any attention to that. He felt it was more from panic of being in a prison and possibly not being let back out.

A loud buzzing sound echoed off the walls, making him jump, and then a gate slid open in front of him and the officer. The blond followed the older man through it when the other walked forward, and looked around.

He was standing in a large visiting room less than a minute later, taking a seat at one of the tables when the officer motioned for him to do so before disappearing. Naruto watched him walk away before looking around at all the people visiting loved ones, friends and relatives. He was here to see none of the above, but he was okay with that.

Considering what Pein could have had him do, he felt this was relatively mild. It didn't even bother him all that much, he'd endured it for an entire year, so doing it again just once to get to see Kiba seemed like a pretty lame request, in his opinion.

Not that he'd told Pein that. He'd been sure to seem horrified, but overall, he really didn't care. Of course, Sai had tried to stop him, telling him it wasn't worth it, but to Naruto, it was. It _was_ worth it to see Kiba, and he was annoyed Sai had tried to talk him out of it. Truth be told, he wished the other had stayed at fucking work.

This day so far was looking up. Aside from what he was about to do, he couldn't really complain.

Though if he was going to be realistic, if not for the promise of being allowed to see Kiba, Naruto wouldn't have bothered getting up this morning.

Another loud buzzing sound echoed through the room, and the blond turned to regard who was coming through the gate that led from the prison cells. His eyes caught the man who had tormented him for months, and he turned back around, facing forward and leaning back in his chair, waiting.

Fingers stroked gently along the back of his neck before trailing down his arm, the inmate moving around from behind him to sit across from the blond, a vicious smirk on his face.

"Hello, Naruto." Orochimaru leaned forward, eyes roving over the teen in front of him.

Naruto would have been disgusted if he had the capacity to care. Which he didn't. He just wanted to do this and high-tail it to the hospital before Kiba fell out of bed and choked on his IV lead or something. That'd be just his luck, too.

"I was wondering when I'd be seeing you again," Orochimaru said, looking very pleased with the current events. Naruto just stared at him, resisting the urge to laugh in his face. He couldn't do that, people were watching.

"Why would I ever willingly come and see you?" he demanded. "Furthermore, what lead you to possess the mere thought that I would?"

Leaning down further in his seat, he glanced around the room, making note of all the cameras, and trying to think of which one would have the best angle to one of the more secluded areas in the room. He was sure their activities weren't entirely uncommon, so surely a camera would be able to see them while the rest of the room would be relatively hidden from view. He just hoped whoever Pein had tapping the cameras, they were getting all of them, because he certainly wasn't going to act on his task right in the middle of the fucking room.

Wasn't like he could have someone come with the blond to ensure he completed it. That was a laugh. An Akatsuki walking into a police station. Right... When pigs could fly.

"I didn't," Orochimaru shifted closer, his knees bumping Naruto's. The blond rolled his eyes. Clearly Orochimaru hadn't had any since arriving in prison. "I just assumed one of your tasks would involve me, so you can imagine my surprise when I had to wait this long to see you."

_That _certainly got Naruto's attention, the blond's head snapping back to look at Orochimaru. The older man seemed pleased to see the slight panic in his gaze.

"You knew?" Naruto asked, leaning forward so no one around them would overhear. Who knew what spies Pein had in here. "You knew about this game he was planning?"

Forget seeing Kiba, Naruto was close to punching the motherfucker in the face and leaving. He felt his friend would understand.

"Of course I knew," Orochimaru seemed insulted at the implications that he'd be left in the dark. "We all knew what was coming. What's left of us, anyway." He scowled when he spoke the last part, clearly displeased at the number the Akatsuki had dwindled down to. "News travels fast in the underworld, Naruto, surely you know that by now."

Naruto watched him, surveying him, trying to figure out what he was implying with his statement, but not entirely sure he wanted to know. If he was insinuating he and Pein spoke on a regular basis, that would be bad, and something Naruto didn't want to consider or think about.

"Whatever," he finally said, raking a hand through his hair and leaning back again. "Where are we doing this?"

"What, no pleasantries first?" The snake smirked at him. "You don't want to know about Pein? His motives? His methods? Anything?"

Now Naruto was suspicious, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Why would _you_ be willing to offer _me_ any kind of information that would make my life easier?" Orochimaru had proven, thus far, that his sole purpose in life was to torture Naruto, so why would he ever help him?

"Why haven't I told Pein about who Sai really is?"

Naruto's entire face fell, and panic gripped him at the thought. He looked around quickly, wondering how many Akatsuki members had been in contact with Pein. How many of them had found out about Sai being with Naruto? How many of them could have told him that Sai was CSIS? They'd all seen it! They'd all been there when Sai had pushed Sasuke down and turned his gun on them! They'd all been there for the raid!

How could he and Sai have overlooked that? How could they not have even considered the possibility of Pein finding out he was CSIS through the other members? Fuck, _fuck_!

"Get that look off your face, Uzumaki, if I was going to tell him, I would have already." Orochimaru was definitely pleased with the panic he saw. "Don't you think I have my own reasons for keeping things like this to myself? Why do you think some of the Akatsuki members were transferred to this God-awful place, while others are still with CSIS?"

The blond watched him for a long while, slowly turning his words over in his head. "You made a deal," he realized. "With CSIS. You made a deal with them to end up here." Made sense, now that he thought about it. This place didn't exactly scream "murderers." It was pretty tame-looking, actually.

"Of course," Orochimaru said, leaning forward again. "All the Akatsuki members present here made a deal with CSIS. We offered all the information we had, agreed never to speak of Sai, and not cause problems in prison, and they would reduce our sentences. I've still got nineteen years to go, but talking to them and keeping my mouth shut to Pein has certainly ensured I'll get out of here before I die."

Naruto wasn't ashamed to think he really hoped that didn't happen.

"So," the blond said, to make sure he understood this with absolute clarity, "none of you in here are allowed to tell Pein about Sai, or you'll head back over to CSIS?" He wanted to be sure that Orochimaru—or anyone else, for that matter—didn't have the ability to hold that over his head. While he was all right with this one-time thing to see Kiba, he didn't want to come back for a visit every other day.

"No, we can't talk about his involvement as CSIS if we want to keep our reduced sentences." He smirked, and Naruto could hear the word "but" coming. Of course he'd have the fucking word "but!"

"But," the other, predictably, said, "if I decided it wasn't worth it, and I might just be dead in twenty years anyway, I might be inclined to inform Pein of your little agent friend."

Naruto clenched his jaw, deciding he may as well _ask_ what Orochimaru wanted, but was going to ensure Sai had him moved back to CSIS before the end of the day. His coworkers didn't need to know why.

He was just pissed, because of course, it would be too fucking easy to just walk in, do Pein's bidding, and walk out. Of _course_ there had to be _something_ to just fuck him over further. _What's the matter, God, am I not bending down far enough for you? Need my ass higher so you can fuck me harder?_ Naruto? Bitter? Never.

"All right, asshole, what do you want?" Naruto asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Just to make a little deal." The ex-professor grinned. "And don't worry, I assure you, it's not what you might expect it to be."

"Oh, you're not gonna ask me to come back once a week for a fuck?" Naruto asked dryly.

"Tempting," the older man said, "but no. Not unless that's something you'd like to do, and are looking for an excuse to come see me."

"Pass," the teen said, the word coming out harshly. "What do you want?"

"We're going to go through with your task, of course, because people are watching, and Lord knows I could use a good fuck right now."

Naruto didn't miss the look he got from Orochimaru, as if he expected Naruto to look horrified, but he was going to have to disappoint him. He was way past caring, and he'd already been there longer than he wanted to be, so if Orochimaru didn't get to the point quickly, he wasn't going to get the fuck he "so badly" wanted.

"I will exchange my silence with regard to Sai for getting moved to a medium security prison."

A wheat eyebrow slowly rose. "Excuse me?"

"This maximum security thing," Orochimaru motioned around them, "it isn't my style." He leaned back in his seat, regarding Naruto. "I've grown tired of it. I know Pein's true to his word, he _will_ release Sasuke when the year is up, provided you don't mess up first. He enjoys his games too much to keep him forever, he'll want to switch things up. But regardless, when this is over—or you fuck up, whichever comes first—" Naruto scowled at that. "I want you to get in touch with CSIS, and tell them what I did for you, and I want you to tell them to move me to medium security."

"What makes you think I have the ability to boss CSIS around?" Naruto asked with a snort.

"They used you." He waved the question off. "Besides, you have Sai, and everyone knows he'd move the world for you if it would make you choose him over Uchiha." Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "If you ask Sai this, he will do it."

Considering what Orochimaru _could_ have asked, that wasn't too bad. Sure, he didn't like the thought of less security on the pervert, but he was smart enough not to try and escape, even Naruto knew that. So when this was done, and Sasuke was safe, and if Orochimaru kept his word and didn't talk about Sai being CSIS, he'd call them and ask them for this favour.

If they did it, great. If they didn't, well, he'd have tried and kept his end of the deal. He would agree to trying, not to succeeding.

"Deal," he said, holding his hand out. "You shut the fuck up about Sai, and I'll talk to CSIS."

A smirk spread across the snake's face and he reached out to shake his hand. "Excellent. Now that we have that settled," he yanked hard on Naruto's hand, practically pulling the other across the table at him, their faces inches apart, "shall we get started on why you actually came by?"

The blond fake smiled. "After you, asswipe, I'm right behind you."

* * *

If anyone asked Kiba what he hated most about the hospital, his answer would be very simple. Whenever anyone else ever left this stupid institution, they always complained about the same things—even in movies! It was always all about how the food was bland, the smell was bad, the nurses and doctors were jerks, the intercom system was too loud, blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine. That was how people were, after all. They complained about the little things that were insignificant when compared to how their lives were currently being saved. So what if the food was bland, at least it was _food_!

Not that his complaint didn't have to do with something that had saved his life. On the contrary, in fact. When anyone asked _him_ once he was out of this Godforsaken hellhole of a bed what it was he'd hated the most, his answer would be simple: the stupid fucking tube going up his nose pretending to be helping him breathe while in actuality, it was forcing air down places it shouldn't be fucking going!

It pinched painfully against his nose, and being told _when_ to inhale and _how much_—which was pretty much the damn thing's purpose for existing—really wasn't one of Kiba's happiest memories in the hospital. As proven by the fact that he was once again roused from his sleep when he tried to turn his head, only for the tubing to be pulled and send a spark of pain up his nose.

If not for his mother shutting the fuck up about how he couldn't breathe, he'd have taken it out. But every time he tried, she'd go off on a tirade and freak out at him until he put it back on. It was like she thought he would forget how to breathe while he slept and die or something.

He was glad Hinata had brought her out to dinner, otherwise he'd have had a coniption fit by now.

Groaning slightly and struggling not to wake up from the discomfort of the tubing pulling at his nose, Kiba lost that particular war and rolled onto his back once more, letting out a whine and wishing like hell he could just go home.

Dorm home, not Ontario home, his mother would drive him insane.

Opening bleary eyes to stare up at the ceiling, he found solace in the fact that he at least felt a little bit less like shit than he had the previous day. Which was a bonus, he supposed. He'd prefer not to feel like shit at all, but he supposed getting a bullet to the chest was going to ruin his ability to not feel like shit for a while.

Just when he was about to try and roll over to get back to sleep, he heard someone shift in the chair beside him. Before he could turn to see who it was, the person spoke.

"Hey."

Kiba started to sit up before the pain made him still in his actions, turning to look at the person sitting beside him. Rubbing at his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating—he was on a lot of drugs, it wouldn't surprise him—he blinked a few times.

Naruto was still sitting there.

"Hey," he said, half-smiling at the other. "It's you."

"Yeah, it's me." Naruto offered him a half-smile back and shifted his chair closer to the bed. He reached out, as if unsure, and then closed his hand around Kiba's. The brunet closed his own hand around Naruto's gripping it tightly, and the blond brought his other hand up to clench around Kiba's as well, bringing their clasped hands to his forehead. Kiba could feel him trembling. He wasn't sure why, but he liked to think it was relief. Relief that he was there, and that Kiba was alive. He didn't know, of course, but he'd pretend.

"You're here," he said, still trying to digest that fact. Then, a happier thought occurred to him. "Is it over?"

The bitter laugh that followed informed him that, no, it wasn't. Kiba didn't want to think of what Naruto had gone through to come here, because if he hadn't visited while he'd been unconscious like Hinata had said, it was clear he'd had to give something up in order to come now.

"No," the blond whispered, hands tightening around Kiba's. "It's not over." He looked up then, but kept his grip on the brunet's hand. "I made a deal to be allowed to come and see you." His gaze lowered and he licked his lips. "Kiba, I'm... I'm _so _fucking sor—"

"Shut up, dumbass," Kiba interrupted, relaxing back into the bed slightly, and squeezing the other's hand. "It's not like _you_ shot me in the chest."

"I may as well have."

"Fuck off, this isn't your fault," Kiba snapped, turning to glare at him. "It's not. So stop with the self-pity, it doesn't suit you."

"Sai keeps saying that," Naruto said, letting out a slow breath and bringing their hands back to his forehead. "I just... I can't help wondering if maybe he found out. Maybe he knew you'd figured it out, that it hadn't been real, that you understood. You were going to help me, in your own way. Maybe he found out, and that's why he shot you." Naruto let out a small laugh. "He shot you for being so damn _smart_."

"He who?" Kiba demanded, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

As predicted, Naruto's hands tightened, his gaze still down, but he said nothing about it. He just sat there, clutching his hand like a lifeline, and that made Kiba realize something else. Naruto wouldn't need him as badly as he did if he had someone else.

"Naruto," he whispered, waiting for proof the other was listening. When Naruto cocked his head slightly, he continued. "Sasuke... Sasuke's not at co-op, is he?"

Naruto's shoulders stiffened, and that was all the confirmation he needed. Rubbing at his face with his free hand, he let out a sigh and then raked it through his hair. Well, that certainly explained a lot. He knew for certain something was happening, but now it made a lot more sense. Why else would Naruto not even have hinted himself that it was starting again if not for running the risk of losing Sasuke? Before, it hadn't occurred to him, but now... made total sense.

He still hadn't seen Neji and Gaara, but he was sure once they came, they were going to ask him if it had to do with Sasuke. And he hated that he'd be the one to confirm it.

"No," Naruto finally whispered. "He's not. But you knew that already, because you're too fucking smart to just leave well enough alone."

Kiba licked his lips, and tried really hard not to take offense to that. His desire to punch something was harder to ignore, but he forced himself to just clench his free fist. Punching something wasn't going to help Naruto feel better, and it certainly wasn't going to help his condition. He applauded Naruto's strength, because the other had made getting shot look easy. Kiba could now say from experience that getting shot in the chest was definitely _not_ easy.

He noticed his mother and Hinata coming through the window that overlooked his room, and was thankful that his girlfriend noticed who was with him. Her head snapped back, startled, and she promptly pulled Tsume away. Kiba offered her a smile in thanks, then rolled over slightly so he was facing Naruto. The blond had started shaking again, but Kiba was positive he was crying, now.

"I can't do this anymore," Naruto whispered, shaking harder. "Kiba, I can't do this."

"Naruto—"

"Don't," the blond insisted. "Don't tell me it'll be okay. Don't tell me everything will work out. Don't tell me Sasuke will be fine. Just don't."

"I wasn't," Kiba insisted. "I was just going to tell you that you're the strongest person I know, and that when this is over, and I'm better, I'm totally going to build you a bomb shelter."

Naruto laughed at that. A genuine laugh, shaking his head slightly.

"I never told you how important you are to me," he whispered. "I always kind of assumed it was common knowledge, but I'm telling you now, Kiba. You're fucking important."

"Damn fucking straight I am," Kiba insisted, grinning at his friend. "I even have the scars to prove it. You don't just get shot for being a nobody."

Naruto looked up at him. "I'm serious."

"Me too, if I didn't have a girlfriend already, I'd totally use the scars to pick up chicks." He offered the other another grin, and Naruto snorted, averting his gaze.

"You're a moron."

"So are you, so fair's fair."

He noticed the blond glancing at the time, and wondered if maybe he was out of it.

"Do you have to go?"

The other looked back at him, and shook his head. "No. I don't have a time limit. I was just hoping I wasn't keeping you from sleep."

"Fuck sleep, dude," Kiba insisted. "I won't get another chance to talk to you until this is over, I'm guessing, so don't even. I'll stay up forever if you stay with me."

Naruto laughed slightly, fingers rubbing against Kiba's hand. He'd have found it weird if he didn't know the other was just happy to see him. Besides, much as Kiba was overdramatic, he didn't think anything Naruto said or did right now would bother him considering the number of times he'd walked in on him and Sasuke having sex.

"I missed you, Kiba."

"Missed you too, fuckhead." He pulled at his trapped hand, making the blond look up. "Come on, you look like hell." He shifted over in bed, motioning the other to come up.

"Dude, you got shot, I don't think—"

"You fucking had sex the day after _you_ got shot in the chest, so shut the fuck up and lie down for a minute, fuck."

Naruto smiled slightly and stood, kicking off his sneakers before hopping up into the bed and lying down beside Kiba, resting his head on his shoulder and wrapping one arm around his waist. Kiba awkwardly put his own around the other's shoulders.

"Don't get used to this, I have a girlfriend."

"I know. Thanks."

"You're my best friend," Kiba said. "I'd do anything for you. You know that, right?"

"Doesn't mean I'll ask anything of you."

"That's okay. Being your best friend means you never have to ask. I just know." Kiba sighed and closed his eyes, tightening his hand on the other's shoulder.

"I can't see you again once I leave."

"I know. But when this ends, I'll still be here." Kiba frowned. "Well, you know, not _here_ here because I'm hoping to be out of the hospital, but here in general."

"I know," the blond repeated. "If this ends well, I'm hoping we'll all be okay. If it doesn't... Hinata's gonna lose you for a while."

Kiba said nothing to that.

He would have quoted the blond's own saying back at him, about how if everything wasn't okay, it wasn't the end, but sadly, he didn't think that would be the case.

Not this time.

* * *

Sai was in the process of cleaning up his temporary room, for lack of something better to do, eyes shifting to the clock every few seconds. It had been a long time. He didn't know how long Naruto had spent with Orochimau, but he was positive the blond was still with Kiba. While he was glad the other was getting that small luxury, he was still a little offended.

Maybe not offended, but definitely somewhat upset. Because it was like Naruto was blatantly telling him he couldn't offer the same kind of comfort Kiba could. Frankly, he was getting annoyed with being one-upped by everyone. _He_ was the one Naruto had called, so clearly _he_ should be important, too, right?

The landline ringing pulled him out of his angry thoughts, the raven turning his head to glance towards Naruto's bedroom. He considered not answering it, but if it was Naruto asking for a ride home, he'd be pissed if he missed it.

Sighing and tossing the garbage back onto the floor, he raked a hand through his hair before walking into the blond's room and pulling the phone off the cradle. Heaven forbid Tsunade should call and nobody answered. He'd never hear the end of it.

Still, he was hoping for Naruto.

He offered the person on the other end a cheerful greeting, hoping it covered up his anger decently well.

"_Hello Sai." _

Now _there_ was a voice he hadn't been expecting to hear.

"Pein. Hey." He frowned, not quite sure how he should be acting right now. "Naruto's not here, he went to see Kiba. I was told you knew and had allowed this, even Suigetsu confirmed it." He didn't get why Pein wouldn't assume the blond would still be gone. Furthermore, why would he call the landline?

"_I'm aware of that. I wasn't calling for him, I was calling for you."_

Sai didn't like where this was going, but for the moment, he'd play along. "For me?" He asked cheerfully. "Well, this is flattering and unexpected. How can I help you?" He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly texted Yuugao, telling her that he might be in trouble, but not to panic yet. He hovered over the send button, then sent it after a second or two.

He wouldn't put it past Pein to have played along thus far, and to be fair, Sai had lost his touch at being dispassionate when it came to Naruto. This had gotten too personal, and he knew Suigetsu could see it.

"_I would like for us to meet. You and I. I'm very interested in the man who escaped CSIS so flawlessly last year. I'd like to learn a few of your secrets. Pick your brain, if you will."_

Sai knew that wasn't a request, but an order. He didn't think this was a good idea, but he knew he couldn't decline, that would make Pein suspicious. Or, _more_ suspicious, if he _was_ suspicious.

Then again, if he went, he could find out more about Pein. Looking at him in the half-dark on a video wasn't much to go on, and on top of that, he could possibly find out about where Sasuke was being held, and if so, they could end this. Naruto would finally have this done and over with. Forever, hopefully.

"Of course," Sai forced out in his too-happy tone. "When and where would you like to meet?"

"_I was thinking the old Akatsuki main headquarters. One hour? Naruto shouldn't be back for a while yet, so let's take advantage of that time."_

"As you wish. I'll see you there."

"_See you soon, Sai."_

The dial tone buzzed in his ear, and the agent slowly replaced the receiver, pulling his cell phone up to see Yuugao's reply. As usual, she told him not to do anything rash, to wait for her to talk to Homura and decide on the best course of action.

Sai didn't have that kind of time. The headquarters wasn't the same place as the warehouse, it was further. He would need at least forty-five minutes to get there, and that was only provided there was no traffic.

Snatching up his car keys once he was back in his room, he hesitated, debating whether or not to leave a note for Naruto, then decided that he was with Kiba, and wouldn't be back any time soon. If Sai never came back, well, he could only hope Naruto could manage the rest of this without him.

Hurrying down the stairs, he got another text from Yuugao, telling him not to leave or she'd find and murder him herself. He just shoved his phone in his pocket and pulled open the door. He knew that if he let his boss have a say in this, it was likely that they'd try and make him wear a wire or something. Sai had never had to wear one before, it was too risky, and he was too valuable an asset. But given how close they would be, he knew they might risk it.

No, this was better.

At least this way, if he _didn't_ come back, they would know why. Naruto would probably assume, and even if he didn't, Pein would be sure to inform him, so he wasn't too concerned about Naruto thinking he'd ditched him. He'd hope the blond would know he'd never do that.

Shutting the unit door and heading for the parking lot, the agent got into his car, and inhaled deeply. The scent of leather calmed him slightly. He would admit, he'd never felt so concerned for his life before. Realistically, he knew he was probably more concerned for Naruto's. If he was discovered, Naruto was going to pay for it. Probably by losing Sasuke.

Sai knew the blond would never live through losing Sasuke. So that _could not_ happen. Much as he wanted the Uchiha out of the picture, he'd prefer to do it fairly, and not because the asshole had _died_.

Pulling out of his spot, he headed out of Fairview, seeing Naruto's friends walking back towards it from the Village. He really hoped they understood Naruto's predicament, but they were good people. Good friends. And if nothing else, he knew Kiba knew everything, by now, and he would surely enlighten them. Though hopefully they'd all be smart and stay out of their way.

His phone buzzed a few times while he drove, but he did his best to ignore it. When he hit a red light, he actually hid it inside the driver's seat, shoving it through a small cut he'd made years ago while working for Akatsuki. He wanted to make sure his texts weren't found. Besides, wasn't like the other knew he _had_ a cell phone, so it wouldn't be weird for him not to bring it in.

A car honking brought him back to the present and he started driving again, turning at the appropriate street and continuing on his way towards the headquarters.

Thirty-seven minutes later, he pulled into the small parking lot that was located at the back of the old headquarters and stepped out, looking up at the building. It looked exactly the same, as if it were still in use, though he knew it wasn't. A team had been checking in periodically, so he knew for certain that wasn't where Sasuke was being kept. The building itself was owned by the city, so they technically didn't have any right to do anything with it, so it just sat there, rotting away and waiting for someone to bother demolishing it.

Flipping his keys in his hands and shutting his car door, he walked towards the back of the building, and pulled open the door, heading up a flight of stairs and exiting into a narrow corridor. He walked down it to what used to be Deidara's office and stepped inside, assuming it would be empty since he was early.

He should've known better than to assume.

A gun cocked and he felt a barrel placed at the back of his skull, the feeling very foreign to him, and just as unwelcome.

"Hello, Sai. I've been expecting you."

His blood ran cold.

Yuugao was going to murder him—if Pein didn't beat her to it.


	17. The Crutch

**A/N: Woo, it's been a while... My bad |D But I finally got back on this horse and have decided to finish this fic so, huzzah me! Sorry for the ridiculous wait, this fic just kinda... I lost interest in it for a long time, but I hate it when authors don't finish their shite and I didn't wanna be one of them so... here I am |D Sorry if this is all disjointed and weird, it was hard remembering where I was going with any of this. Also, I do a LOT of typos, I realized, from re-reading older stuff... To be fair, I don't have a beta, but I probably shoulda been fixing those while I was reading... Oh well |D Anywho, sorry for the wait. Hope those of you still sticking around enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I was hoping my long absence from his doorstep would make K. Masashi forget all about me, but the second he saw my expression when Kiba walked by, he remembered me and chased me out of his house with a broom. Seriously? A broom, K. Masashi? For shame!  
**

* * *

Naruto pushed open the door to his unit, noting all the lights were off, and let out a sigh. Sai had obviously left a while ago to do something or another, otherwise he'd have left a light on, at least. Naruto had spent a lot longer with Kiba than he'd expected, but to be fair, he wasn't going to get to see him again until this was over, so he'd wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

The only reason he'd left at all was because Suigetsu had called him, making snarky comments about how he hoped Naruto hadn't opened his big fat mouth, otherwise Kiba was going to go back to sleep and not wake up. Of course, that had pissed the blond off, but he'd managed to stay calm enough to tell him Kiba was still clueless, and he'd followed all the rules as instructed. Once that had been confirmed, Suigetsu had cheerfully told him it was time to say goodbye. So, he had. It had been hard, and he could tell Kiba wasn't happy, but he had no other choice. So he'd said goodbye and come home.

He'd have preferred to have Sai waiting for him, but he couldn't continuously rely on other people, it wasn't fair. Besides, he was sure Sai was starting to get a little worn out from his constant Naruto-cheer-up duties. So maybe he'd needed a bit of a break. He could understand.

Walking into the living room with a sigh, he flicked on the light, and froze. Instantly, it felt like his blood had frozen in his veins, and his hands started shaking. Closing his eyes tightly, he reached up to rub at them, then looked into the living room again.

It wasn't going away. The walls were still covered in blood. The first thing Naruto had thought was that it was another incident like with the fridge, where it was all in his head, but the longer he stared, the longer he stood there inhaling the metallic scent of blood...

This was real.

Someone had died.

"Sai," he whispered to himself, remembering Orochimaru's words. "Sai!" he shouted, turning and running up the stairs. "Sai, where the fuck are you?!" He threw open the other's bedroom door, but it was empty. He went to his own room, and then Sasuke's.

They were all empty.

Fumbling to pull out his phone, he hit Sai's name in his address book, and brought the phone to his ear.

"Pick up," he ordered. "Pick up, Sai! Pick up, pick up, pick the _fuck_ up! Pick up! Sai, pick up!"

"_What? __**What?!**__ Naruto what?!" _

It took a second for the blond to realize the other had answered. He'd been talking over him. Relief washed through him for only a second before he realized he had more people to lose. Snapping his phone shut on Sai still asking him what was wrong, he bolted down the stairs and threw open his door before turning to the unit beside his own and banging on the door.

Shikamaru answered a few seconds later, face dispassionate but eyes concerned. "What?"

"Is everyone here? Or, accounted for, whatever. Is everyone here and okay?"

It seemed to take a second for Shikamaru to clue in, but once he did, he nodded, looking bored. "Hinata's with Kiba."

That, Naruto knew.

"Gaara and Neji are on their way to the hospital now to pick her up. Everyone else is here."

Okay, so everyone was accounted for. Sort of. Naruto couldn't be sure about Gaara and Neji, but he felt that Pein would have called to boast about it by now. And hadn't he said it was Christmas or something? Wasn't he meant to be left alone?

Naruto turned when he heard a car screech, and saw Sai jumping out of it. He let out a slow sigh and turned away from Shikamaru, hearing the unit door shut a few seconds later.

"What happened?" Sai demanded, stopping in front of him. "You fucking hung up on me, and then didn't answer, what happened?!"

"Sorry." Naruto laughed slightly, covering his face. He felt like he was slowly losing his mind. "Sorry," he just said again. "Our living room is covered in blood. I thought it was you until you answered, then I thought it was someone else." He rubbed at his face and let out a sigh. "Where were you?"

"We can talk about it in a bit." Sai looked like hell, and Naruto felt bad for scaring the shit out of him like that. "I think we should get away for a while. It's Christmas, let's go back to your place."

That sounded good. Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to see Kiba again, and he and his other friends "hated" each other. He didn't have Sasuke, and classes were over until second term started. He could use some time away. Go home for a bit, just sit in his room and reflect on how shitty his life was.

"Yeah, okay," he whispered, leading the way back into the unit. He noticed Sai didn't follow, but then realized the other was back at his car, locking the door. When he entered, the blond was still lingering by the stairs.

"Wow," Sai said, walking into the living room and looking around. "We'll figure it out."

"Just have one of your guys come in and clean it up," Naruto said, heading up the stairs.

That got him the exact reaction he expected. Sai grabbed his wrist, and forced him to turn to look at him. "What?"

"Kiba implied CSIS had visited him, so it wasn't hard to put two and two together." Naruto frowned. "I'd be pissed, but I can't feel justified in being angry. As long as they don't fuck anything up, well—either way, it's too late now."

Sai watched him a few seconds longer, then sighed and released him. "Grab some things. We'll take your car back and I'll explain what happened. Both back then, and just now."

"Just now?" Naruto frowned. "What happened just now?"

"I just met Pein."

The blond's eyes widened, and suddenly his fear of Pein knowing who he was came rushing back. Obviously, he didn't, or Sai wouldn't still be alive and in front of him, but still. The possibility was going to haunt him until this was all over, and he so desperately needed it to be over. Preferably now.

He could tell Sai wasn't willing to discuss anything until they were somewhere relatively safe. Apparently, Naruto's car was safe. So the blond just nodded and went to pack, tossing random things into a bag and grabbing his toiletries. When he had all that packed away, he reached forward and grabbed his pillow, pulling it towards himself and hugging it, burying his face in it.

That was when he noticed it.

His scent.

Sasuke's scent...

It was starting to fade.

The blond clenched his eyes shut and struggled to calm down. The smell would come back. When Sasuke returned, he'd be back lying on this pillow, and Naruto would have all the Sasuke-bastard smell he wanted.

"Ready?"

Naruto turned, then tossed the pillow back on the bed. He didn't want to bring it home and lose what little Sasuke scent he had left on it, so he just grabbed his bag and followed Sai outside. They got into the agent's car first, because he had to park it where it belonged, and it was in the same lot as Naruto's anyway, so it was easier to just drive there.

Once the car was parked once more, Naruto headed for his own baby and opened the trunk. He tossed his bag in and got into the driver's seat, hearing the trunk shut a second later when Sai's own bag was inside.

When the agent was buckled up, Naruto pulled out and started towards University boulevard to head towards uptown so they could get on the highway.

"Homura walked into my office when you called," Sai said once they were off the campus. "I said—_his_ name, so he knew who I was talking to." Naruto appreciated that he hadn't said 'Sasuke'. "He picked up the phone and heard virtually everything. I didn't have a choice."

"I'm not mad," Naruto said, trying to make sure his tone of voice conveyed this. It was the truth. He knew it wasn't Sai's fault. "I'm just worried."

"I know," Sai said. "I won't let them fuck this up for you. I promise."

Naruto didn't know what to say to that, so he just nodded. "Sure. So, why were you with Pein?"

He glanced at Sai when the other didn't reply right away, and his stomach clenched. The other looked like he'd seen a ghost. When he noticed Naruto looking, though, he schooled his features.

"Nothing bad happened," he said.

"I don't believe you."

"Nothing bad happened," he repeated. "I was just... thinking back on it. I thought I'd been made. I've never had that feeling before."

That was all he gave him. The rest of the drive to the highway was done in silence. It wasn't until Naruto was merging into the HOV lane that Sai spoke again.

"I had a gun held to my head the entire conversation."

The blond almost slammed on the brakes. "Fucking Christ! You thought telling me that would be best while I'm driving?!" Naruto demanded, struggling to calm himself down enough to not kill either of them. "Fuck! What happened?!"

"Sorry," Sai said, smiling slightly. "I'm fine, though. And Sasuke's fine." Naruto knew he'd only added that in to reassure him. "I was invited, and it wasn't like I could refuse, so I went. When I got there, someone held a gun to my head, and Pein emerged from the shadows. He just wanted to talk. He explained the gun was for his own protection. He's had Suigetsu, the other guy and that woman with him for almost three years, so he doesn't really trust anyone else."

"What did he want?"

"To meet me," Sai said simply. "Nothing special. He didn't give me much on anything important. I tried to learn about the other tasks coming, but he didn't really talk about them. And I could see he wanted me to ask about Sasuke, so I didn't."

"Why not?" Naruto bit out, much more harshly than he'd intended.

"Because if I had, he'd have known I was on your side, and not his. So I didn't ask."

Naruto supposed that made sense. He didn't have to like it, but at least it made sense. After all, why would Sai care where Sasuke was if not so he could tell Naruto? No, this was better. He was glad the other had enough forethought. He didn't think he'd make a good cop, personally, but Sai was stellar at it.

"Anything else?" Naruto asked.

Sai was silent, and the blond glanced at him. There _was_ something. He could tell. But Sai didn't want to talk to him about it. Not yet, anyway.

"Just enjoy Christmas while you can, Naruto," Sai whispered, turning to look out the window. "Next term's going to be long."

Well, that wasn't ominous at _all_.

* * *

Gaara leaned back in the seat he'd been offered and crossed his arms, looking around dispassionately while Neji stood beside him, the Hyuuga's eyes roving over the room with distaste. Gaara didn't care about the other's aversion to dust, he wasn't here to indulge in the Hyuuga's cleanliness. He was here to have a conversation with someone, and if they kept them waiting any longer, he was going to have the entire building demolished.

His father had enough money to pull that off. It'd be best if he wasn't tested.

The door opened and both boys turned their heads to regard who was walking in. When the man took a seat across from them, they waited for him to speak first. But he didn't. He just smiled pleasantly at them, as if they were silly little boys who didn't know what they were doing, let alone who they were dealing with.

Well, the motherfucker didn't know who _he_ was dealing with, either. Gaara was going to fix that.

"Where is Uchiha?" he asked.

"If we knew that, don't you think we'd have picked him up by now?"

"You've used Naruto before," Neji accused, the older man's eyes flickering towards him, then back to Gaara. "You told Kiba not to tell Naruto you were involved. You never warned him not to tell us. Your first mistake."

Homura looked back at Neji, and smiled. "Do you think two teenagers who haven't even graduated university are going to intimidate me in any way?"

"How else would we have made it this far into your building?" Gaara asked, forcing the man to look back at him. "You underestimate us because we're children in your eyes. You'd do well to rethink that. I could have you replaced with one word."

The agent's smile faltered, but Gaara could tell it was because he didn't like being threatened.

"We don't know where Sasuke Uchiha is. We're still looking into it based on what little we've gotten back from Sai. He hasn't been given much to work with."

"Who is Pein?" Neji asked, pacing behind Gaara slightly. "I thought Akatsuki was finished, didn't you catch the leader?"

"Evidently we were mistaken." Homura looked displeased with having to admit this. Gaara was seriously doubting this man's competency.

"What is being done to find Sasuke?" Gaara demanded. "Naruto didn't fare well last year. He barely managed to survive it. He hasn't even entirely gotten over the events of last year, and this is happening again."

"Who goes after your friend is not CSIS' fault," Homura said, narrowing his eyes at Gaara, clearly feeling attacked.

"Isn't it your job to keep everyone safe?" Neji cut in, forcing the other's gaze in his direction. "Naruto's well-being may not be at the top of your list, but shouldn't you have caught Pein because of the possibility that this might happen? Isn't that your job?"

Gaara kept his eyes locked on the other man. He could tell he was quickly losing patience with them, but to be fair, Gaara had no patience at all for his excuses. He was tired of watching Naruto suffer, and not being able to help him because anything he did right now would risk him losing Sasuke. That wasn't a gamble he was willing to make.

"Naruto is a person," he said, Homura looking back at him. "He is a human being who does not work for the government, and who has already suffered a great deal. You would do well to remember that. Do not use him again. If this doesn't end well for him, just remember that I warned you."

"Are you threatening me?" Homura snapped.

"Yes," Gaara said easily before standing. "I'm sure you're aware of who I am. You know what I'm capable of. If things go badly, I'll make sure everyone knows it was your fault a murderer was let loose on the streets."

"You'll destroy everyone who works here if you threaten this agency," Homura hissed. "Even Sai."

"Sai isn't our friend, Naruto is," Neji cut in. "We could care less what happens to Sai. We tolerate him because Naruto needs him. When he's no longer needed, we're more than happy for him to disappear."

Gaara motioned the door and Neji followed him towards it. They both exited the room and started down the corridor so they could leave the building.

"I don't think we've made a difference," Neji informed Gaara once they were safely outside, heading for the redhead's car.

"Homura appears to be a man of pride. We've wounded his ego by insinuating he doesn't know how to do his job." Gaara unlocked his doors and opened the one on the driver's side, looking over the car at Neji. "He'll work harder to fix this. We're not going to sit around and do nothing like last year."

"You don't think this goes any higher, do you?" Neji asked, climbing into the car. "You don't think that's why they're waiting? Because they think there's someone else?"

"I don't know what they're doing," the redhead insisted, starting the car. "I don't care. Naruto need Sasuke back. And Inuzuka doesn't have much time."

Neji's gaze shot back to him and Gaara pulled back onto the street. He hadn't wanted to talk about it, but it didn't seem fair. He wanted to protect Hinata from it, but he knew that her finding out when it was too late would be worse. He just didn't want to be the one to tell her, so Neji it was.

"What about Kiba?"

"They didn't get the bullet out. It was too close to his heart, they wouldn't risk it."

"So it's moving?" Neji asked with a scowl. "It could damage his heart?"

"Not only that." He paused, then added, "It got infected."

"When?"

"A while ago. It's spreading." Gaara turned to head back towards the university. "Yashamaru's been told not to talk about it. He's been working on it, but if Kiba's immune system doesn't kick in, he's not going to be around when Naruto finishes this."

"And it didn't occur to you to inform us of this?!" Neji shouted angrily.

"In what way would my informing you of this have helped the situation?" Gaara demanded, turning to look at Neji for a second before facing the road again. "They've got Kiba on so many drugs he doesn't even know he's on them. And his mother is worried enough. And Hinata was so happy when he woke up Kankurou didn't think it wise to tell her."

He saw Neji rubbing his face out of the corner of his eye, but he said nothing. He hadn't wanted to even mention it, but he knew this couldn't stay hidden forever. Eventually, someone was going to be around when the bandages came off next. They would know.

"When I came to university... I didn't expect it to be so hard," Neji muttered.

"Life is never as easy as we assume. Some people's just seem easier than others. We're relatively lucky."

"How are _we_ lucky?!" Neji demanded.

Gaara turned to him. "We could be Naruto."

* * *

Sai stood at the living room window, staring out at the entrance to Naruto's driveway. He knew he was coming. Soon. He was coming to remind the blond that Christmas was over, and it was time for things to go to shit again.

He had lied to Naruto. He knew about one task. Just one. And he didn't know if Naruto was going to do it. Honestly, he felt it was more a test for him than it was for Naruto, and a part of him couldn't help but wonder if Pein knew who he was, and was just playing along.

"What are you doing?"

Sai turned, not having heard the blond get up. He forced himself to look back out the window, finding the other's state of undress distracting. And he hated that he enjoyed the view so much.

"Watching."

"For?"

He said nothing, and after a few seconds, Naruto's footsteps padded away. The agent turned his head slightly, to ensure he was gone, then looked back out the window once more. He didn't know what to do anymore.

This year's Christmas had passed by like Naruto was unimportant, in Sai's opinion. He'd only been there one year for Christmas, but he'd heard stories about the previous year. He always had his friends over, since starting university, and he _always_ had Sasuke.

This year, he'd spent the entire holiday sitting in front of the television holding a pillow. Sai realized it was the pillow Sasuke used when he slept over at Naruto's house.

And nobody called. Not a single person. Not even Tsunade.

He knew how this looked to Naruto. Like nobody cared. But Sai knew it wasn't true, and he hoped Naruto knew it, too.

His friends hadn't called because they couldn't.

Sasuke wasn't here because he couldn't be.

Kiba wasn't here because he couldn't be.

Nobody was here except for him, and only because—for the moment—Pein believed he was on his side.

But honestly, he didn't know if Naruto was going to agree to the next task.

He was going to find out though, because a car had just pulled into Naruto's driveway, moving around the blond's car and parking beside it. Sai watched Suigetsu climb out, talking on a cell phone. He looked pissed, which Sai wasn't happy about. If Suigetsu was in a bad mood, he was going to make things difficult for Naruto.

The agent walked to the door anyway, and pulled it open. Suigetsu turned from where he stood, motioned that he'd be there in a second, shouted "fuck you!" into his phone, and hung up. Then, he turned back around and grinned at Sai.

"Juugo ate all my Cheerios. Bastard just pissed away my breakfast for the week. Kid inside?" Suigetsu reached into his car for a disc, and then slammed the door.

Sai just nodded, and moved aside for Suigetsu to come in. He could hear Naruto tinkering in the kitchen, and felt maybe he should warn him that the other was there, when Suigetsu decided to warn him himself.

"Oi, blondie! It's game time!"

Movement stilled in the kitchen for a few seconds, then Naruto's feet padded against the tile and he appeared in the doorway. His eyes were on Sai, accusing him of having known Suigetsu was coming today. He'd wanted to tell him, he just hadn't known how.

"Come on, time's awastin'." Suigetsu waved the disc while heading for the entertainment room, whistling and falling down on the couch. "Wow, I love this room." He started bouncing on the couch, and laughed. "This place is the shit!"

Sai waited for Naruto to walk in before following. When the blond sat on the couch, leaving space for Sai, the agent chose to sit in the chair adjacent, because he knew once the blond saw the video, he wasn't going to want him so close.

"Here, pop this in." He tossed it to Sai, who caught it and stood. Moving for the entertainment set, he pushed the disc into the PS3 and then moved to sit back down, Naruto setting everything up properly with the remotes.

The screen popped up with Pein, as per usual. Still no Sasuke.

"_Hello, Naruto. I expect you've had a good holiday. I hear your visit with Mr. Inuzuka went well. I hear a lot, you see. Did you know his injury is infected?"_

Sai started at that and turned to look at Naruto. The blond's face was pale. He shot a glance at Sai, but the agent hoped he could tell he was just as shocked.

"_Yes, such a tragedy. After everything he's lived through, he might not last. And on top of that, the bullet is still slowly migrating closer and closer to his heart. I hear his condition has been worsening. They had to put him back under last week." _

Naruto was on his feet, and Sai jerked up to grab his arm. The blond pulled it away roughly and turned to Suigetsu.

"Is that true?"

The other looked at him and shrugged. "How the fuck should I know? I don't keep tabs on your friends." He reached out to grab the PS3 remote and paused the disc. "If you _must_ know, go ahead and call someone. Not one of your friends, obviously, but you know, someone who can confirm."

Naruto was gone instantly. Sai turned back to the screen, glaring at Pein. It wasn't bad enough Naruto had thought Kiba was dying and had gotten better, now he was just dying again. He really hoped it wasn't true, but Pein wouldn't have lied about that. There was no satisfaction in upsetting Naruto only for him to be relieved.

"Can I ask you something?"

Sai turned back to Suigetsu when the other spoke, and shrugged as a response. He didn't really have to answer if he didn't want to.

"You care about him, don't you?"

The agent frowned, and realized he was being way too emotional about how much Kiba meant to Naruto. He'd been out of the game for too long, he didn't remember how to act anymore. Not when Naruto was involved, anyway. Fuck that blond cretin for screwing him up like this, now Sasuke was going to die and it'd be his fault!

"Hard not to," he said, feeling that was a safe answer.

"I can understand that." Suigetsu watched him in a way that made Sai uncomfortable. He was analysing him. "Hm. Just do me a favour, will you?" Sai said nothing, so the other continued. "If you ever have the opportunity to shoot me, don't."

Hearing the other say that made Sai feel inclined to pull his gun out and shoot him right then and there. The only reason he didn't was because his gun was upstairs.

Instead, he moved towards the entrance to the room and headed down the hall to the kitchen. He saw Naruto leaning forward against the counter, hands buried in his hair. Sai felt that was answer enough as to whether or not what Pein had said was true.

"How bad?" he asked, moving closer to the other, but not touching him.

"I don't know, bad," he whispered, hands tightening in his hair. "They didn't get the bullet out. It started migrating closer to his heart, and then infection set in while he was still in his coma. It looked like it was getting better but then it got worse and started spreading. Apparently he was so doped up that he couldn't even tell." Naruto exhaled sharply. "I don't get it, he seemed fine when I saw him three weeks ago. He was _fine_!"

"Naruto, this isn't over," Sai insisted, grabbing his shoulder. He made sure Suigetsu wasn't nearby, then leaned closer. "I know someone. When he's gone, I'll call her. But he has to be gone, so let's watch the video and then he'll leave."

Naruto let out another slow exhale and straightened, rubbing his hands over his face and then stalking past Sai. The other followed him back to the entertainment room, where Suigetsu was watching Spongebob again. When both he and Sai were settled once more, the murderer changed it back to video and hit play. Sai noticed he'd rewound it a bit because they got the tail-end of what he'd previously been saying.

"—_ck under last week. Pity, he seemed like such a good kid. Speaking of good kids, I got to meet your friend Sai. That was quite the experience. He's quite attracted to you, you know." _

Sai could feel Naruto's eyes on him, but he resolutely didn't look at the other. He tried not to look at the screen, either. His gaze was more focussed to the left of it.

"_I know Deidara said so as well back when he and I still had the ability to speak. Sai's always been interested. I imagine it's your looks and not your charming personality. With that in mind, I actually have a task for you I hadn't had at first. It was only after my encounter with your crutch that I decided on it. I'm sure he'll be more than thrilled. Can't say the same for Sasuke."_

"Fuck," Naruto hissed, and Sai winced.

That was a little insulting.

"_I don't care when you do it, but it has to be done before you go back to school. And make sure you're very vocal during the sex, it's not as fun to watch if you lie there and glare at the camera."_

The screen went dead.

* * *

"Tsunade, you can't be serious," Jiraiya insisted, following his sister around the room while she packed her necessities into a bag. "We're here on this Godforsaken piece of land because it's supposed to keep us _safe_! If you go back, you won't be safe!"

"It's for the noisy brat," Tsunade muttered, shoving her toothpaste into her bag and zipping it up. "He won't be noisy anymore if I don't go."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means Kiba's dying, Jiraiya," Tsunade said, turning to face him. "It means that Naruto's going to lose him, and with the risk of losing Sasuke, I'm not going to sit here and let him lose someone that can actually be saved."

Jiraiya stared at his sister, understanding where she was coming from, but unwilling to let her endanger herself like this. He didn't want anything to happen to her, and he was so pissed off that Sai had called.

Tsunade hadn't been a doctor for a long time, and Shizune was right fucking here in the house, too. The only reason he'd asked for her was because of a fluke years ago when she'd saved someone's life.

"It was a fluke, Tsunade. You don't know that you can do it again."

"Well I'm damn well going to try!" Tsunade shouted. "Hitomi trusted me to look after her grandson and so far I've done a piss poor job of it! And what am I doing now, while he's at home suffering? I'm sitting in a cottage watching soaps on television all fucking day while his best friend is dying in a hospital bed!"

"I understand that, but—"

"You obviously _don't_ if you don't want me to go!"

"Because you're my sister!" Jiraiya insisted. "Because we lost Orochimaru and fuck if I'll lose you, too!"

"Um..."

Both of them turned to the door, where Shizune was standing, looking awkward. "You both do realize there's an easy solution, right?"

"In what universe is there an easy solution to this problem?" Jiraiya snapped, then cursed because he was directing his anger the wrong way.

"They're called the Sabakus," Shizune said. "Kankurou called his uncle to take care of Kiba when I said I was leaving. All you have to do is tell him you know how to save Kiba, and they'll have him brought here."

Jiraiya and Tsunade shared a look.

"Will CSIS allow that?" Tsunade asked.

"I just spoke to our guy, and he said as long as CSIS sends him off and picks him up, it's fine. Even if we're in this safehouse right now, it's used for other people, so it's not like they want people to know about it." She shrugged. "But I'm sure we can acquire all the supplies you'd need, and while I'm only one person, I'll help any way I can."

Tsunade rubbed at her mouth and Jiraiya stared at her, hoping she'd at least _try_ this route first. He didn't want her going back to Vancouver. He didn't trust that she'd come back.

"I'll call Kankurou," she muttered. "If he agrees, I'll call Sai and ask him who I should talk to at CSIS.

"Thank you," Jiraiya said, letting out a slow breath.

"Don't get me wrong, if he can't travel, I'm still going," Tsunade informed him while heading for the door so she could call Kankurou. "If Kiba dies, and Sasuke dies, Naruto's going to die. I'd rather him have at least one of them, or I won't be able to face Hitomi when I see her in the afterlife."

* * *

**\o/ That's all the excitement I got left |D**


	18. A Task Worse With Friends

**A/N: LOOK! IT'S ME AGAIN! Terrifying, I know. I don't actually have anything to say, idk why I have an AN here...  
**

**Disclaimer: Apparently, according to K. Masashi and his lawyers, it's still considered kidnapping even if Kiba willingly enters my vehicle. The dog treats were just for the roadtrip, it's not like I was BRIBING him or anything!  
**

* * *

"When is he going to leave?" Naruto demanded angrily, channel surfing while trying to ignore Suigetsu currently destroying his kitchen.

"I don't know, but good news," Sai said, sitting down beside him. The blond shifted away. He didn't do it consciously, it just sort of happened.

The knowledge that he had to do the dirty with Sai was making him feel awkward around the other. Had been for the past few days, ever since he'd found out about it. He didn't know if he'd be able to go through with it, if only because he knew it would mean more to Sai than it would to him.

It had been easy with Orochimaru, he'd experienced it in the past, and on top of that, he had an immediate reward. All he'd get after Sai fucking him was awkwardness. Sai was his friend. His friend who had feelings for him. This was a little bit harder for him to just go with, knowing what it would mean to the agent.

He was actually kind of worried Sai would leave after it happened. Not because he'd have gotten what he wanted, but just because he knew Sai felt like shit over this. He didn't have to say it, Naruto could tell.

"What's the news?" he asked, trying to distract himself from his own thoughts.

"I spoke to a friend, and Kiba's made it to Tsunade." Sai smiled slightly, but Naruto could tell he was trying to cover the insult of him having shifted away. "Kiba's gonna be okay."

"It was a fluke the last time she saved that guy," the blond muttered. "I'd love her forever if she managed it, but I'm not gonna bank on it. I can't really take any more disappointment right now."

"I know you hate it when I say it, but things _are_ gonna be okay, Naruto. It's not over."

Naruto didn't say anything to that. He just turned to look out the window. That was when the clattering in the kitchen stopped and he heard Suigetsu answer his phone. Then the other was heading in their direction, voice getting louder until he said bye and hung up.

He rounded the corner into the entertainment room and grinned in at them. "Well, you're going back tomorrow."

"So?" Naruto asked dryly.

"So if you don't fuck each other today, you're breaking the rules. And then something bad will have to happen." He pretended to look shocked.

The blond scowled at him, annoyed, and raked a hand through his hair. He hadn't really been paying attention to the days. He hadn't really thought about the fact that the day they went back wouldn't count.

He shot a glance at Sai, who was still watching the television, and looked back at Suigetsu.

"Fine," he muttered. "Just—go away or something."

"Go away?" Suigetsu frowned. "But I have to be here for it. I'm the cameraman." He grinned.

"The camera can go on a tripod or something," Naruto snapped. "You're not watching us have sex."

"Why not?" Suigetsu asked. "Not like I won't see the video anyway, so why bother?"

"It won't be real if you're watching," the blond insisted. He could feel Sai watching him, but he just ignored that fact and grit his teeth. "Just give me the camera, and I'll make sure it's the perfect angle."

Suigetsu eyed him, then let out an explosive sigh and turned to head for the door. Naruto watched him go, then turned back to Sai. The agent was watching him so intently that it was making him uncomfortable, so he looked away.

"You can go up, I'll wait for the camera," he muttered.

Sai stood and left the room without a word. Naruto winced, rubbing the back of his head. He moved towards the front door, pulling it open and watching Suigetsu dig around the back seat of his car. He finally extracted a video camera and headed back over to Naruto.

"Guess I should head back, then. Nothing else for me to do around here." Suigetsu stretched and started back for the car.

"Can I ask you something?"

The other paused, cocking his head inquiringly.

"Is Sasuke still alive?"

Suigetsu beamed at him. "You haven't fucked up yet, kid. Why wouldn't he be?" With that, he turned and waved over his shoulder, getting back into his car. Naruto watched him leave, realization that Suigetsu hadn't changed clothes for the past few days suddenly dawning on him. He winced and headed back inside, closing the door behind himself.

He stared down at the camera for a second, then turned it on to check the battery. It was full. There was a lot of memory space, as well. Naruto turned it around and aimed it at his face. Then, he hit the record button for a second, and then turned it off. He just wanted to make sure the damn thing worked because if they did this and it didn't work, he wasn't going to do it again.

Flipping the screen open to make sure it had worked, he nodded, satisfied, then looked towards the stairs. He really wanted to say something to Sasuke first, but he knew there was no point. They would just cut it out anyway.

Licking his lips and letting out a slow sigh, the blond climbed the stairs to the second floor and turned to look towards his room. Truth be told, he didn't want to do this in his room, just in case Sasuke never came back. But he felt it would be rude and unfair to Sai if he asked him to move.

Truthfully, Naruto just didn't know what to do anymore. His sense of right or wrong was so blurred lately it was amazing he felt anything at all anymore.

Fuck, he wished he was drugged. He'd give anything to have heroin right now. He would literally do anything for heroin.

Shaking away the thought, he let out a slow breath and headed for his room, pushing open his door. He frowned when it was empty, walking further into it and checking the bathroom. But no, Sai wasn't there.

"Sai?" he called out.

"I'm in here."

The blond turned around and headed out of the room, moving down the hall to the same room Sai had used the last time he'd visited. He eyed the other, confused, but felt that maybe Sai had assumed what Naruto was thinking before the blond himself had even thought of it.

"There's a good spot there for the camera," Sai said, motioning a dresser in the corner. "Set it up and flip out the screen so we can see it and make sure it's aimed properly."

"Right." The blond headed across the room and set the camera down, doing as Sai instructed, flipping the screen out and then twisting it so that it faced the same direction as the lens. He got a nice closeup of his pores, because he was so close to it, but he moved aside to see how the bed looked, then shifted the camera a bit until he was satisfied.

Letting out another breath, he hit the record button and headed back over to Sai.

Naruto sat down on the edge of the bed, and Sai reached forward, hand pressing against the back of his neck and pulling him closer, resting their foreheads together.

"You can pretend I'm him."

"But I know you're not."

"I know," Sai said, rubbing his thumb lightly against the back of the other's neck. "I'm sorry."

"This isn't your fault," Naruto whispered.

"That's not why I'm sorry," Sai insisted, and Naruto could tell he wasn't happy with himself. "I'm sorry because I'm not going to hate this as much as you are." The hand on the back of Naruto's neck tightened. "I've wanted this for a while. I kind of expected it to be different when we got around to it, but realistically I know this is all I'm ever gonna get, so I'll take it."

Naruto felt he should have had something really great to say in response to that, but he was glad when Sai pulled him closer to kiss him instead, because honestly, his mind was blanking.

He had no words right now, so he just closed his eyes and shifted closer. If he was going to do this, then he was just going to get it over with.

And at least Sai wasn't as disgusting as Orochimaru.

But that made it worse, because Sai was his friend.

* * *

Hinata stared out the window, watching the water roll up onto the beach below and then recede slightly. It was kind of therapeutic, to be watching the water roll up over the sand and then move backwards, only to crash forward again. She hadn't ever really watched the waves roll up, mostly because she'd never gone to the beach much as a child.

She was too pale, she tended to burn way too easily. And sand was uncomfortable. It got everywhere, and there were some places sand really shouldn't be.

Though there was one time she and Kiba went to the beach. But it was night time, and really dark, so she hadn't been able to see the water. It had been nice, though. He'd brought a blanket, and they'd just lay on it staring up at the stars.

She really hoped that would be a possibility again. She didn't blame Naruto for anything that had happened, because she knew that if not for him, she never would've met Kiba. They'd have spoken in English, but it was the blond's Christmas party at his house in first year that had really made them connect.

But she couldn't help but feel like none of this would've happened without him. She didn't hate him for it, but she wished things had turned out differently. Though to be fair, she was certain nobody wished that more than him.

And then she felt selfish for being upset about getting expelled with her boyfriend dying. Naruto had been forced to help kill people, he'd been raped, he'd been tortured, he'd been drugged, and now his boyfriend was also probably dying.

She just didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She wanted to be angry with him, but she couldn't bring herself to be.

A hand fell onto her shoulder and she jumped before turning around. Jiraiya smiled down at her, then looked back out at the view.

"Where's Tsume?"

Hinata smiled slightly. "Out in town. I hope she isn't abusing the agents too much, or they'll send her home."

"I'm betting they wish only you had come with him." Jiraiya said, then winked.

She smiled at him, then glanced at the door across the room. The same door she'd been trying to avoid looking at since she'd been ushered out of it. The same door that had made her move to the window so she could watch the waves.

"Is it normally this quiet?" she whispered. "At the hospital... everyone was loud. They were always shouting out instructions."

"Tsunade is a loud woman," Jiraiya agreed. "But when she's working on something like this, she tends to be more focussed on that than what the other people are doing. And Shizune knows her so well she'll be able to accommodate her without Tsunade having to say anything." He smiled down at her again, patting her shoulder. "Maybe when he's better, Tsunade can teach you a few things. You want to be a nurse, right?"

Hinata tried to smile, but didn't quite make it. "I don't know if—"

"If you're thinking about the expulsion, that'll be old news when Tsunade gets back," he reassured her. "You're anything but a cheater." He smiled at her again, and this time, Hinata's own smile came more easily.

"I just want this to be over," she whispered. "Naruto... he doesn't deserve this."

"Yeah," Jiraiya sighed. "Considering his life, I'm still amazed at how he turned out. He's a good kid. Would never hurt anyone. I'm worried about what all this is going to do to him."

"He's strong," Hinata insisted, clenching her hands together and bringing them up to her chest, wincing. "He'll be all right."

"Not without Sasuke," Jiraiya whispered.

Hinata didn't think she was meant to hear, but she did. She pressed her lips together and straightened resolutely. "Well if that's the case, we need to make sure he has Kiba. Because even if he's my boyfriend, I know how much he means to Naruto."

Jiraiya stared at her as if she'd said something he hadn't known, and then turned to the door. She followed his gaze and let out a slow breath.

Kiba would be okay.

Naruto would be okay.

Sasuke would be okay.

If they weren't, Hinata was going to find this Pein person and rip off his balls.

Or at least give him a stern talking to... since she wasn't really violent by nature.

Stern talking to it was.

Maybe she'd even swear.

* * *

The expression on Pein's face when he walked into the room alerted Sasuke to the fact that whatever was coming, he wasn't going to like it. He hadn't had any torture lately, and he knew that was killing Pein inside, so obviously he looked so fucking pleased because something horrible was about to happen.

"I have a surprise for you. And for once, you get to see Naruto without him being in pain."

Oh, this wasn't good. He made sure not to let it known that he was a bit nervous, but he knew Pein didn't need it confirmed. The other would just assume based on the knowledge he had that Sasuke didn't.

The raven got to his feet when he was prompted towards the door and headed over to it. He walked into the adjoining room and looked around, seeing everyone present, as per usual. Konan was reading a book, and Juugo and Suigetsu were watching something on the television. Sasuke couldn't tell what, but they switched it to video when they saw him coming.

The Uchiha was pushed down onto the couch between the other two, Pein standing behind him with his hands on his shoulders. Sasuke winced when he shifted closer to whisper in his ear, his hot breath as unpleasant as it was unwelcome.

"Seems your little blond friend has quite the sexual appetite."

Sasuke stiffened at these words, feeling anger rising in his chest. He'd already overheard Suigetsu and Juugo talking about how Naruto had had to visit Orochimaru in order to get a few hours with Kiba. What now? Were they forcing him to go back every week?

His fists clenched without his consent, betraying his anger, and he narrowed his eyes angrily at the screen. Whatever he saw between Naruto and Orochimaru, he knew it wasn't done willingly. If Pein thought this would upset him, he was wrong. It would just piss him off because Naruto had endured that particular torture for an entire _year_, and he definitely didn't deserve to have to go through it all again!

"Eyes on the prize, Uchiha," Pein said, slapping his cheek rather painfully before straightening, hands still on his shoulders. He must've given Suigetsu a sign, because the man beside him held out the remote and hit play.

The first thing Sasuke noticed was the setting. It looked familiar, but it wasn't somewhere he'd been numerous times, and it actually took his brain a few seconds to pinpoint exactly why he recognized it. It was one of the guest rooms in Naruto's house. He'd spent all his time there in Naruto's room, so it wasn't exactly unusual that his brain took a few seconds to clue in.

The next thing he noticed was that the sound was muted. He could tell because it was absolutely silent, and could only assume it was because Naruto hadn't been saying or making the appropriate noises. Pein probably felt it would be too merciful for Sasuke to hear Naruto swearing and exclaiming in disgust.

The last thing he noticed, which was the thing he wished he _hadn't_, was that the person who was lying naked on top of his boyfriend wasn't Orochimaru. His skin was just as pale as Sasuke's, and his black hair was cropped a bit shorter than the Uchiha's. He had scars along his skin, probably from a few fights he'd gotten into while doing his job, and his muscles were tight and defined beneath his skin.

Rage boiled up from the pit of Sasuke's stomach and he clenched his fists even more tightly, his teeth grinding together almost painfully. He didn't know how to feel other than angry, so that was the emotion he allowed to pass over him.

Sai. Of all the fucking people, why was it _Sai_?! Wasn't it bad enough he'd already almost stolen Naruto from him once?! And it wasn't exactly a secret that he was in love with the blond. And now he was... he was...

Sasuke wouldn't have cared if it was anyone else. Kiba, Orochimaru, Sakura, hell he'd have let Suigetsu or Juugo fuck him! It wasn't about the cheating, because it wasn't even technically cheating. It was _who_ was currently fucking his boyfriend that was making it hard for him to breathe. He was so fucking _angry_!

If Sai succeeded in making Naruto fall for him, the blond would save Sasuke because it was the right thing to do, but then the Uchiha will have lost him. He already felt like Naruto was slipping away from him due to all the horrors he'd had to endure so far this year, but now if Sai managed to convince him that they worked well together, that he and Naruto deserved each other more...

Sasuke was going to be sick. He could feel his stomach churning horrendously, and quickly averted his gaze, letting out a slow, angry exhale.

"Ah ah," Pein's fingers were on his chin instantly, jerking his head back up to face the television. "Eyes on the prize, Uchiha, remember? Unless you want me to make this a weekly event. I could do that, you know. Sai was most appreciative of my gift to him. How long has he wanted to have his way with your little boyfriend? A year? Two?"

The Uchiha had to remind himself that punching Pein was _not_ an option. His fists were clenched so tightly that the wounds on his arms stretched painfully, and his nails broke skin in his palms. He was struggling to keep his breathing even, and wanted nothing more than to ignore what he was seeing. It wasn't real, it was okay, Naruto was probably not enjoying it, which was why it was muted.

And of fucking course, that was when the sound had to come blasting on. A loud, drawn-out moan left the blond's lips, the sound making all the hair on the back of Sasuke's neck stand on end. That was reserved for him! For fucking _him_! Sai didn't deserve that moan, it belonged to Sasuke!

"My, my. I didn't think this through, did I?"

The screen suddenly went black, and Sasuke turned his head slightly to see that Pein was holding the television remote now. He smiled down at the Uchiha.

"I should have recorded you. Imagine the guilt I could have gotten out of Naruto. It would have been perfect. I'm ashamed of myself for not having thought of it." He paused, and the wicked grin that formed next made Sasuke's skin crawl. "Oh wait, I did."

Sasuke's eyes shot towards Konan, whom he'd been ignoring since she hadn't seemed to move, and saw that she had a video camera aimed at him sitting on the table beside where she was seated. She closed her book, reached for the camera, and turned it off before standing and wandering over to Pein, looking bored.

"Thank you, Konan." Pein smiled, taking the camera from her, and leaning down closer to Sasuke again.

The raven clenched his jaw, again reminding himself that punching Pein wasn't an option.

"Granted, your reaction could have been more violent, but Naruto knows you _so_ well that he'll be able to see the anger and hatred on your face. And we both know he's going to think you feel that way about him, even though everyone else is aware that it's Sai you want to murder."

"When I get out of here," Sasuke hissed, his voice low and dangerous, "I am going to make what you did to Naruto seem like child's play."

"Oh Sasuke, Sasuke." Pein slapped his cheek again, the sting painful. "Don't you mean _if_ you get out of here?"

* * *

He was pacing outside his door. He had been for the past hour. Naruto wished he'd stop, it was starting to bother him. He was having a hard enough time concentrating as it was without having to listen to Sai's footsteps move back and forth in front of his door, the shadow moving from one side to the other.

Blue eyes shifted away from the reading he was in the middle of to glance at the bottom of his door, watching the dark shape move from one side to the other and then back again. Sai was worried about him. Which was obvious and normal, considering he'd spent his entire time with Naruto worrying about him.

Of course, there was more to worry about now. It was possible this last task had completely obliterated their friendship. He knew Sai had enjoyed it, it was hard not to when you were fucking the person you were in love with, but he also knew that Sai felt like shit for having enjoyed it.

Worse for Naruto was that it hadn't been entirely unpleasant for him, either. Sai wasn't Sasuke, but he was close enough, and every time he thought of that, his chest would constrict with guilt over it and he'd want to punch something. Sure, being told to do it wasn't cheating, but if he wasn't entirely opposed to it while it was happening kind of was, wasn't it?

Pein had done it on purpose. It was more than just a favour to Sai, it was because he knew that choosing him would be hard for both Naruto _and_ Sasuke. Because Sasuke hated him, and Naruto could easily see the comparison between the two of them. It was easy to just squint a little and imagine it was Sasuke and sometimes, that was almost enough for him. And he felt like shit for it.

"Can you please stop?" He hadn't meant to snap it quite so harshly, but his own anger at himself coupled with Sai's annoying pacing was starting to peek through. "You're bugging me."

Sai paused on the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

"What for?" Naruto snapped.

There was silence for a few seconds, then, "To talk."

"There's nothing to talk about." Naruto jabbed angrily at a key on his keyboard, trying to make the small print on his computer larger.

"Naruto—"

"There's nothing to talk about!" the blond snapped angrily, standing almost violently and beginning to search his room for his Ipod. "It was a task, it had to go down, and it happened, all right? Just forget about it!"

"You know I can't do that."

"Well I'm still with Sasuke!" he hollered angrily at the door. "I'm still with Sasuke, and you just have to fucking _deal_ with it, all right?! I can't _do_ this right now! I have homework!"

Turning back to locate his Ipod, he finally found it buried in a drawer and pulled on his headphones, cranking up the volume to drown out anything else Sai had to say.

There was nothing to discuss. He was Sasuke's, and he'd done what needed to be done in order to save him. Fine, maybe he'd enjoyed the sex a bit more than he should have, but to be fair, Sai _was_ a friend. It wasn't like when he'd been with Orochimaru. He _hated_ the guy, it was easy to be disgusted with the sex. Hell, if he'd been told to have sex with Kiba, he might have enjoyed it even _more_ than with Sai, because they were so close.

Of course, Kiba'd have been scarred for life, but that aside, it would have been good sex.

He paused in his movements when he thought about Kiba. He hadn't been told much about the other since he'd been sent to Tsunade—Sai trying to protect him, as usual—but he knew from eavesdropping that the infection wasn't getting better, and they were still trying to decide whether it was safer to attempt to remove the bullet or to leave it in. Wherever Kiba was, he hoped it would keep him safe until this was all over, but he somehow felt like Kiba getting sent away was a bad sign for just how severe his injury was. Why would Sai not have told him about it getting worse? If he wanted Naruto to be ready for the worst, he should've told him, right?

And Hinata was gone, too. She'd probably left with Kiba, since she pretty much had no reason to stick around. She'd been expelled after all.

Thinking of her made his chest constrict, too. So many things had happened this year, and in some ways, it was even worse. At least last year it was people he hadn't known who'd been forced to suffer, but this year? It was his friends. The people he cared about, the people he loved. And all of them were being hurt, even Sai.

And he still got calls of rage from Raidou. Apparently he was now no longer allowed to even visit Genma. He'd gotten attacked or something and moved to another cell block, and he wasn't allowed any more visitors. Naruto hated that he couldn't even get visitors. He was worried about what would happen once Genma was released. Would he still be the same sex-crazed maniac as before? God, he hoped so. He wouldn't be able to handle it if he'd changed because of him.

This wasn't how he'd imagined his university life. He'd always thought he'd go through it the same way he had high school. Being hated or admired, occasionally ignored, and just be alone. He used to think he'd do anything to not have to go through university like he had high school. Now he was wishing he could go back to the days where being beat up was the worst thing that could happen to him.

* * *

Sai wanted to punch something. He'd prefer it be Pein's stupid, smug face, but he would settle for pretty much anything, at this point. Ever since the sex, Naruto had been closed off. A part of him wondered if the blond suspected it had been a request. That Sai had _asked_ for this task just for the chance of being with him.

He would be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed it—because he had, a lot, probably more than he should have—but he would _never_ have betrayed Naruto like this by asking for it. This was entirely Pein's doing, and while he was on the one hand grateful, he was also incredibly pissed off and disgusted.

After they'd finished, Naruto had gone to his room and stayed there until the following morning. When they'd driven back to UBC, the blond had cranked the radio so loud that Sai's ears had been ringing for hours once they'd arrived back at Fairview.

It had been almost a week since they'd been back, and still Naruto wouldn't talk to him. Sai couldn't even explain anything. Naruto was acting like school was currently the most important thing in the world to him and he didn't care about anything else. Which, of course, wasn't true.

Sitting down on the couch, Sai rubbed his face with both hands and let out a slow sigh. He wasn't going to be able to help him if Naruto shut him out like this. Then again, maybe that was the point. Maybe Pein felt like Sai—the Akatsuki Sai, anyway—was getting too close, too personal, with Naruto. This was his way of regaining control of the situation. Sai wasn't meant to be his friend, he was meant to be his handler.

And it would've been so much easier if that was all he was. A handler. Someone who stayed around to make sure he followed the rules. But it wasn't like that. Sai cared about him, Naruto was his friend. And that just made things so much worse. It was such a betrayal of trust, to have done what he did, and he knew that. If it was just sex, it would've been fine, but there were feelings attached to the action, and he knew that, more than anything, was what was making this so hard for Naruto.

His head jerked up when he heard a knock at the door. Groaning and getting to his feet, he took a deep breath to calm himself down before plastering a smile on his face. He knew who it would be—nobody else came around anymore—so he had to show what had happened between him and Naruto hadn't affected him as much as it truly had.

Pulling open the door, he beamed out at Suigetsu like he was greeting an old friend. It faltered slightly when he saw the expression on the other's face.

"Hey," he said slowly, frowning. "What's up?"

"How much do you love the kid?"

Sai blinked, somewhat caught off-guard at the question. He wondered if this was a trick question before deciding it had to be and grinning again.

"He's good in bed, if that's what you're wondering. Maybe the boss can give you a go, too."

He instantly regretted his words, severely hoping Suigetsu wouldn't take him up on that, but the other just kept watching him, as if trying to figure something out. Then, he reached into his back pocket and held up a CD case holding the newest DVD.

"If you really do love him, don't call him down here. We'll watch this one together, tell me what you think his reaction will be, and I'll report back. Pein doesn't need to know."

Okay, this _had_ to be a test. Why would Suigetsu give him this option? It was obviously to see if the sex had made him more loyal to Naruto over Pein. Well, Sai wasn't that stupid. He'd survived this long by being smart, and despite how he felt, he was going to keep being smart, no matter what that new DVD held.

"You're kidding, right?" He laughed and motioned Suigetsu inside. "Just because I fucked the kid doesn't mean I've got a soft spot for him. He's easy on the eyes, and amazing in the sack, but that's all."

He climbed the short flight of steps to the living room and nodded towards the kitchen. "Grab yourself a beer, and get me one too, while you're at it. I'll go get Naruto."

"Good man." Suigetsu's previous expression faded and a grin formed, the other man waggling the disc. "Pein just wanted to make sure nothing had changed. I'm glad you're a professional."

"No matter how fuckable he is, I'm loyal to Akatsuki, _not_ Naruto," Sai replied easily, snorting, as if he were insulted with the lack of trust.

He turned and headed up the stairs to the second level, feeling his heart rate increase. Naruto hadn't locked his bedroom door, thankfully, otherwise he didn't know if the blond would say something stupid while yelling through the door at him.

When he reached the landing, he turned and opened Naruto's door. The other whipped around instantly, his headphones on, and a clear insult on his lips, but Sai brought one hand to his lips quickly, motioning for Naruto to be quiet. The blond frowned and removed his headphones, the music blaring through them.

"Suigetsu?" he asked.

"He's downstairs. New task."

He could tell Naruto was clenching his jaw, but he just nodded and paused his music, putting his headphones down on his desk and standing.

"Let's get this over with."

He led the way downstairs, Sai following, and the two of them entered the living room where they found Suigetsu lounging on the couch. He moved over when he saw them enter, and Sai's eyes shifted to the table, where two unopened cans of beer sat. Suigetsu was already drinking one, so why had he brought out an extra one?

"Naruto!" he exclaimed with a grin. "Come here, buddy, sit beside me." He patted the spot next to himself and moved over a bit more.

Sai could see all of Naruto's muscles tensed, the blond clearly ready to punch the shit out of Suigetsu, but he somehow managed to make it to the couch and sit down. The murderer leaned forward and grabbed one of the beer cans, holding it out to Naruto.

"No thanks," he bit out angrily.

"Trust me."

Sai frowned at those two words, wondering what Suigetsu was playing at. The other didn't look at him, his eyes locked on Naruto. The blond hesitated for a few seconds, then took the can and popped the top, taking a sip.

Suigetsu snorted and forced Naruto to tip it back more. The blond allowed it and drained the whole can, coughing slightly and breathing hard once it was empty and replacing it on the table. Sai just watched Suigetsu curiously while grabbing his own can and popping the top.

"Cheap drunk?" Suigetsu asked Naruto.

"Not really," was the muttered reply. "And not interested in getting drunk."

"Are you sure?"

Sai narrowed his eyes again. What was Suigetsu playing at? First with his test for Sai, and now with this? It was like he was trying to avoid something. In a way, Sai wondered if his so-called "test" wasn't... well, just him honestly trying to look out for Naruto. But that was crazy, wasn't it?

"Just play the damn task," Naruto spat.

"It's not a task."

_Uh oh._ Sai didn't like the sound of that.

Suigetsu's eyes flickered to Sai briefly before he rubbed at his mouth, and the agent suddenly understood. Suigetsu hadn't been testing him, he'd been trying to avoid something. When Sai hadn't taken the offer, he'd played it off like it had been Pein's idea, but something was going on that he wasn't happy about.

If he was wrong... he could be screwing them both over. But if he was right...

"More than anything," he said.

Both Naruto and Suigetsu turned to him, confused. Sai grit his teeth, let out a slow breath, and explained.

"What you asked me before. The answer is more than anything."

Suigetsu relaxed a little and rubbed his face. "Look, don't get me wrong, I love torture as much as the next guy, but I'm more of a... you know, physical torture kinda guy. Watching blondie get whipped gave me the biggest hard-on I've ever had."

Naruto scowled at him, but Suigetsu ignored him and continued.

"Emotional torture..." He made a face. "I just... there's something fucked up about screwing with someone's wiring, you know?" He shrugged. "And I figured this was really going to mess with the kid's head and that'll make the rest of his tasks less fun to watch."

"You're a real humanitarian," Naruto spat, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.

"I try," Suigetsu grinned. "But no, seriously kid, you're gonna be all kinds of fucked up after this. So either scram or have another beer."

"Shut the fuck up and play the God damn disc," the blond snapped angrily, wrenching the remote from Suigetsu's hand and hitting the play button.

"I warned you," was the muttered response, and they all sat back to watch the video.

The second Sai saw Sasuke get shoved onto a couch, he knew. This was the Uchiha watching him and Naruto have sex. His eyes shot to Naruto, but the blond betrayed nothing. He just glared at the screen in front of him. Suigetsu was casting looks at him out of the corner of his eye, but he said nothing and continued to sip his drink.

If there was any sound, it was all muted. They just sat there and watched Sasuke's face. The Uchiha was good at hiding his emotions, but not when it came to Naruto. The rage and hurt and pure hatred churning inside him might as well have been a flashing neon sign. He looked ready to throw up, he looked so angry. Sai glanced at Naruto again, but the blond just kept watching, his face completely impassive.

The video lasted three minutes, then the screen went black.

"We done?" Naruto asked, getting to his feet.

"Yup," was Suigetsu's reply.

The blond turned and headed upstairs, the murderer standing to eject the disc. Sai just stayed where he was, trying to image what was going through Naruto's mind. He knew the blond was certain Sasuke hated him, but he was an idiot. Sasuke wanted to kill _him_, not Naruto. They'd never liked each other, even when they'd been on good terms, so after this? Sasuke was going to come after him for this, whether it had been Sai's idea or not.

"Hey," Suigetsu said, snapping Sai from his musings. He was replacing the disc in the case while he spoke. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell the boss about what just happened. He might think I'm soft for the kid, but it's not like that. I just don't want the game fucked up because of his head being screwed with."

Sai inclined his head. "I'll keep mine shut if you keep yours shut."

"I can understand the attraction." He grinned wickedly. "Just don't let it interfere with your job, Baikan. Bossman isn't the forgiving type."

"Don't worry, I know where to draw the line." He forced a smirk. "If Uchiha dies, think he'll let me keep the kid?"

Suigetsu barked out a laugh. "Why not? Not like we aren't gonna be grabbing someone else if Sasuke ends up biting the dust." He eyed Sai then, crossing his arms. "Speaking of which, what happened to Inuzuka?"

Sai frowned, trying to seem surprised. "The loudmouth? What do you mean?"

"He's missing."

The agent got to his feet, trying to look outraged. "You mean that wasn't you? I thought Pein was behind that." He cursed and rubbed at his mouth. "Maybe he went home? His mother was here when Naruto went for his visit. Maybe she brought him home."

"Hm. He better hope that's where he went. If Inuzuka and the kid spoke about any of this, then the feds will be involved. And once they're in, Sasuke's got a one-way ticket out, and I don't think Naruto will like the kind of vehicle he'll be taking."

God dammit, Sai had _known_ it was a bad fucking idea to move Kiba! Everyone kept insisting nobody would notice, but Pein was everywhere, he _would_ notice. And now he had. All he could do was hope that whatever happened, it didn't get out that CSIS was already involved, otherwise Sasuke was going to die, and Naruto was going to kill Sai.

"Well, if you hear anything about him, let me know." Suigetsu grinned and waved over his shoulder, draining his beer can and setting it down at the top of the small flight of stairs that led out of the unit.

The second the front door slammed loudly, Sai heard something break upstairs, followed by the sound of fists hitting a wall. He sighed, rubbed his mouth again, and started up the stairs. Even if Naruto didn't want to see him, he was going to need someone to bandage up his hands.

* * *

Yuugao scowled down at the phone, staring at it so hard anyone walking by would have thought she was trying to set it on fire. Not entirely inaccurate, to be fair, considering the call she was about to make was not one she wanted to. She'd have given anything not to make it. It would just make things harder, and she didn't want to make this any worse than it had to be.

Her door opened, but she didn't look up. Only one person entered without knocking, and that was because he had every right to do so.

"Did you call him yet?" Homura asked.

She shook her head, scowling. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Couldn't we just—"

"It's the only thing we can do, Yuugao. I know you're concerned, but he can handle it. He'll figure out how to tell the Uzumaki child."

"I just feel like this will cause more problems," she argued. "I don't think—"

"While I respect your opinion, Yuugao, please remember that I am your superior officer, and that despite what you think, what I say is final." Homura's eyes narrowed. "You may not approve of my methods, but I am looking out for everyone's best interest. This is a necessary sacrifice. Call him."

With that, he turned and left the room, slamming the door much harder than she felt was necessary. The agent resisted the urge to stick her tongue out after him and just looked back at the phone again. Sighing, she picked it up and dialled a number, waiting. When the dial tone buzzed in her ear, informing her she'd successfully scrambled the number she was calling from, she dialled Sai's cell phone.

It rang five times, then went to voicemail. She hung up and raked one hand through her long hair, the fingers catching on tangles before she forced them through the knots. She figured this could wait until tomorrow. It wasn't her fault if the moron wasn't answering his phone.

She could do this tomorrow. It didn't _have_ to be today.

Standing, she started to reach for her coat when her phone rang. She glanced at it, and pressed her lips together when she saw Sai's name blinking at her. She could ignore it. She could pretend she'd left already and could do this tomorrow.

But what was the point? It wasn't going to hurt any less tomorrow.

Sighing, she fell back into her seat, picked up her phone, and placed it to her ear.

"Agent Uzuki," she said, mostly out of habit.

"_You called, so you must have news. What's up?"_ Sai asked. He sounded exhausted.

She'd heard about his last task. Sai had needed to talk to someone and, unfortunately for him, she was his only option. She knew how hard all this had been for him. Naruto didn't understand just how much Sai hated himself right now, and he probably never would.

"How're things?" she asked, trying to procrastinate. She played with the edge of a folder on her desk, trying to decide how to word what she had to tell him.

"_They're shit. Naruto hates me, he's pissed at himself, and he thinks Sasuke will never forgive him. That, and I'm getting tired of having to patch up all of his injuries, but that's not why you called, so spit it out."_

She winced. He was in a bad mood. That was going to make this even worse.

"Safehouse called," she informed him. "The one with..." She didn't want to do this, it wasn't right.

"_What happened?"_ Sai sounded worried, now. It was like he'd gotten a slap to the face and had woken up from his exhaustion and bad mood. _"Is Kiba okay?"_

She could disobey Homura. She could tell him something else. Something that would help rather than hinder. But she knew Homura had his own reasons for what he was doing, and as much as she hated that he'd chosen her, she was going to do as he said.

"Sai..."

"_What happened?"_ the other demanded almost urgently. _"Is Kiba... Is he okay?"_

She rubbed her face with one hand and let out a sigh. "Sai, there was a complication. When they tried to get the bullet out, it... it moved further in. His heart was... Sai, I'm really sorry to be doing this to you, but you're gonna have to tell Naruto. Inuzuka didn't make it."


	19. The Inuzuka

**Disclaimer: K. Masashi told Kiba about all the horrible things I've done to him, and now Kiba doesn't wanna be my friend anymore :(**

* * *

It had been almost four hours since Sai had found out about Kiba, and it still felt like the floor was being yanked out from under him. He was still sitting exactly where he had been when Yuugao had told him, his phone clenched in one hand, and his other buried in his hair.

He didn't know what to do. He wanted to tell Suigetsu so that Kiba could just finally be out of the picture to them, but that would mean Naruto finding out. And he didn't want to tell Naruto. God fucking dammit, he had enough pain right now, he couldn't tell him, he _couldn't_!

Clenching his hand tightly in his hair and tugging slightly, he could feel tears burning at the back of his eyes, grief forcing its way up his chest. He wasn't only worried for Naruto, he was also upset. Kiba had been a friend. Not as close as he was with Naruto, of course, but as much as he hated admitting it, he'd known that if he couldn't get Sasuke back, Kiba would be the one to console him.

Kiba was Naruto's lifeline. His anchor. Sai envied him for this, but he also respected him because Kiba was a good guy. He was smart, smarter than people gave him credit for, and he was a good friend. Sai had liked him a lot. And now he was gone. When this ended, if Sasuke didn't come back, Sai didn't know what he'd do. Naruto needed someone, and while Neji and Gaara and the others were good people, too, Naruto _needed_ either Sasuke or Kiba. And if Sasuke died, he'd have neither.

Fuck... _Fuck_! Kiba couldn't fucking be gone, God dammit! This wasn't supposed to turn out like this! Everyone was supposed to survive, this was wrong!

"Sai?"

His head whipped up, and as hard as he tried to mask his horror, he couldn't. Naruto had been ignoring him for days since their return, and he had to choose this moment—this _fucking_ moment!—to come and check on him!

Instantly, the blond's concern turned to panic, but even that disappeared quickly and turned into a smooth mask of indifference, as if he were trying to ready himself for the worst.

"What happened?"

Sai stared at him, wishing to God he could be anywhere else right now. He didn't want to be the one to tell him this, he didn't want Naruto to find out like this. Not now, not when he didn't have Sasuke to comfort him. Not when he thought all his friends hated him. This wasn't right, this wasn't how a kid's life was meant to be. Sai hadn't gone through even half of what Naruto had in his entire life, and this was only three years of the blond's own, not even counting what he'd endured in high school.

He didn't want to do this.

But he had to.

Putting his phone down, he stood and wandered slowly to Naruto. He cautiously reached out and pulled him to himself, hugging him tightly, and giving the other plenty of time to pull away if he wanted to. But he didn't. Naruto's heart was slamming against Sai's chest, it was beating so hard, and he could feel his breathing increase against his neck.

"Sai, what happened?" he demanded, hands coming up to grip the back of his shirt. Obviously, he knew it was bad, but he had no idea _how_ bad.

"I didn't want you to know," Sai whispered. "About Kiba."

"What happened?" Naruto asked again, his heart slamming even harder against Sai's chest.

"They didn't want to take the bullet out," Sai said, knowing no matter what he said, it wouldn't make this any easier. "Tsunade tried to get rid of the infection in any way she could without risking trying to get the bullet out."

He could feel the blond's breathing quicken even further, Naruto clearly on the verge of hyperventilating.

"It got... bad last week. It was pressing right against his heart, they thought it might puncture. Tsunade was going to try and remove it but..."

He couldn't say it. He couldn't actually put it into words, let it be heard, he couldn't do it.

"You can't be serious," Naruto forced out between laboured breaths, clearly on the verge of a breakdown. "After everything... _everything_! Itachi couldn't kill him. He missed. He didn't kill him. And even now... even now, the shot missed. It didn't hit him where it should have. He lived. He fucking _lived_. You can't tell me... there's no fucking way... because it _moved_? Because the bullet fucking _moved_?!"

Sai tightened his grip. "Naruto, I'm sorry."

"This can't be happening," the blond continued, beginning to shake. "This can't be happening. Kiba's not dead. There's no way. He's not dead, he's not!"

"I'm sorry!" Sai didn't know what else to say, what else to do. He didn't know how to fix this. "Naruto, I'm so, so sorry!"

"He's not dead! Kiba can't be dead! Please tell me you're lying! This isn't happening, this can't be fucking happening!"

"I'm sorry! Naruto, please, I'm sorry!"

* * *

Sasuke felt like he was getting better at this. He could now anticipate when someone was heading towards his room, even when he was asleep, which allowed him to be awake and fully aware of everything around him before Juugo was even close enough to toss the bucket of water on him. In fact, he'd been getting so good at it that the last two times he'd entered, the bigger man hadn't been carrying the bucket at all.

_Make that three times, _Sasuke thought when he saw the other coming towards him with nothing but a bowl of oatmeal. He bent down in front of Sasuke, eying him slightly, then held out the bowl. The Uchiha cocked an eyebrow at this, but took it from him anyway, nodding a thanks and beginning to eat.

"Pein is back," Juugo said, as he so often did. "You have five minutes."

Sasuke really hoped that whatever was coming, it wasn't going to include seeing Naruto's reaction to his video. Really, he was just pissed at Sai, and hated him for being there for Naruto while he couldn't be. For obvious reasons, but still, that wasn't the point. When he got out of this—and he did mean _when_—he was going to maim Sai for this. Maybe even cut off his dick. The only reason Naruto had been told to fuck Sai was because the stupid agent had made his desires known. If he'd stayed professional about all this, none of that would've happened!

Sasuke was so pissed. He hated Sai. He always had. The fucker had tried to move in on his territory while Sasuke had been an amnesiac. You didn't do that to someone, it wasn't right. And now Sai was at _his_ house doing _his_ job consoling _his_ boyfriend!

He knew, considering his current predicament, that his anger was somewhat ridiculous, but he didn't care. His anger would keep him alive better than self-pity. Besides, if the way Juugo was acting was any indication, he was either about to die, or something _really_ bad had just happened. While he still didn't like the guy, he at least was decent to him whenever Sasuke wasn't being difficult. Better than that bitch Konan, anyway.

Finishing his last bite, he held the bowl back out to Juugo, who took it and left the room. Pein entered less than a second later, looking more thrilled than he had in a long while. This didn't bode well, and Sasuke suddenly felt afraid for his life. His eyes flickered to the door, but Konan wasn't anywhere nearby. That suggested to him that he wasn't about to die. No way would she miss that. Besides, it would probably be recorded for Naruto's viewing pleasure.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke," Pein said, dragging a chair closer and flipping it around, straddling it while smiling down at him. "Comfortable?"

"You know me," Sasuke replied with a smirk. "Happy as a clam."

"Glad to hear it!" Pein laughed, shaking his head. "Oh Sasuke, you make me somewhat disappointed we couldn't use you on our side. Do you have any idea how useful you could be? Not to mention, I'm going to need a replacement soon." He sighed. "Suigetsu, sadly, is going to be moving up in the world."

Sasuke frowned at this, wondering what that meant. Was he... was Pein implying there was someone _else_? Someone even higher than himself? Because that... would really suck.

"Congratulations to him," Sasuke muttered. "Be sure to wish him well from me."

"Oh, he's not leaving me until my game is over, don't you worry, Sasuke." He pulled out a cell phone and smiled. "I have a present for you."

It was hard to squash the hope rising in his chest that he'd be allowed to speak to Naruto, but it was almost what it looked like. Of course, that would never happen, and once Pein had dialled the number and put it on speaker, Sasuke wanted to fly into a rage again.

And he'd _just_ calmed himself down, too.

"_Hey boss."_

"I do hope Mr. Uzumaki is still in class at the moment," Pein said with a wicked smirk at Sasuke. "I wouldn't want him to wrestle the phone from you in order to speak to his beloved."

"_Don't worry, he's not here. I've got him starting to fall for me, you really think I'll risk him speaking to Uchiha?"_

Sasuke grit his teeth so hard his jaw ached, but he just glared angrily at Pein instead, wishing to God it was Sai and that his eyes could completely obliterate him. His anger only seemed to amuse the bastard in front of him before he tossed Sasuke the phone.

"Enjoy your conversation, Sasuke." He stood and picked up the chair, beginning to make his way towards the exit. "Oh, and before you think of hanging up, you might want to consider why I'm offering you this present." He smiled and exited the room. "And don't bother trying to call out, the phone's locked." He shut the door.

It took a conscious effort for Sasuke to calm himself down enough to remove it from speaker and put the phone to his ear.

"Baikan."

"_Uchiha."_

He half-expected Sai to ask if he was okay, but then figured the other probably didn't care. And even if he would have for Naruto, it was too risky. This was Pein's phone, the bastard was probably listening in from the other room.

"How is he?" Sasuke asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"_In bed? Fantastic."_

His hand tightened on the phone and he resisted the urge to hurl it away. Whether he was acting or not, Sasuke was going to pummel his face in for that. He was going to cause him so much anguish and pain it would make what Pein was doing right now look like a field day!

"I am going to fuck you up so bad, you have no idea," Sasuke hissed, meaning every word of it.

"_Calm down, Uchiha. You should feel proud to know your boyfriend is good in bed. It means you've actually taught him something. Or maybe it was Orochimaru, who knows?"_

Was Sai being like this on purpose to piss him off? Because if so, that was dangerous. If he got mad, he was liable to punch Pein again. And if he punched Pein again, it would be Naruto who suffered, and that would hurt Sai. So he needed to _shut_ up!

"Is Naruto okay mentally?"

"_Well, it hasn't been easy. Especially not considering."_

The Uchiha frowned. "Considering?"

"_Oh, Pein didn't tell you? I guess I'm the one who's meant to inform you of your present. You heard about the loudmouth, right? Inuzuka?"_

Suddenly, Sasuke understood why Sai was trying to piss him off. He wasn't doing it to be a dick. He was trying to help him without making it obvious he was doing so. And he knew it, because the second Sai had said Kiba's name, he knew it was bad news. Why else would Pein have looked so fucking happy?

"What about him?"

"_He died."_

He'd been expecting it. Based on everything that had transpired in this conversation, he'd been expecting those words. But it still didn't stop them from hurting. It didn't stop all the air from rushing out of his lungs. It didn't stop his chest from aching. No amount of rage or preparedness could ever have made that blow softer.

Kiba was dead? But that was... impossible. He was _Kiba_! The guy had survived as much shit as he and Naruto had the past three years, how could he possibly have died? That wasn't...

He felt like he couldn't breathe. His entire body was starting to go numb. Kiba was dead? That couldn't be true, he was so strong, so tough. He'd survived getting shot in the chest, for crying out loud, _how_ could he _possibly_ have _died_?!

"What..." The rest of his sentence stuck in his throat. _What happened?!_ He wanted to scream. _Explain this to me! How did Kiba die?! What are you talking about?!_

"_They never got the bullet out,"_ Sai said, sounding almost bored, but he knew better. He knew Sai had liked Kiba. He knew Sai was just as upset, but he didn't have the luxury of showing it. _"It moved too close to his heart, shit happened, it got infected because of the bullet, they tried to get it out, but it moved too far and ended up piercing his heart and he died."_

Sasuke buried his free hand in his hair, resting his forehead against his bent knees, feeling himself shaking. With rage, with grief. This was insane. Kiba couldn't be dead. How could Kiba be _dead_?!

"Does he..." Sasuke cleared his throat, clenching his hand tighter in his hair. He wouldn't give Pein the satisfaction. He _couldn't_. "Naruto. Does he know?"

"_Inuzuka was __**his**__ best friend, Uchiha. What do you think?"_

Sasuke inhaled deeply, forcing himself to remain calm, and snapped the flip-phone shut. He clenched his eyes shut, feeling his heart aching in his chest. Now more than ever, he _had_ to make it out of here. If Naruto had lost Kiba...

"Fuck, Dogface," Sasuke whispered, struggling not to let his grief spill over. "Fuck!"

He hurled the phone angrily across the room. Pein was going to pay for this!

* * *

Naruto felt like a zombie. No, scratch that, he _wished_ he was a zombie. A zombie wouldn't be able to feel anything except for hunger. Naruto wanted nothing more than to feel only hunger. He'd only ever experienced this level of agony once before, when his grandmother had died. And yet somehow, this was so much worse.

His grandmother had hurt, of course, but she'd lived a full life, and had died peacefully. Kiba was only nineteen, and he'd gotten shot. And for what? Because he knew Naruto. Because the blond depended on him. Because he'd made the mistake of becoming his friend.

Naruto reached up and clutched at his chest tightly, his hand scrunching up the material of Sasuke's blue hoodie. He needed Sasuke right now, more than ever. Kiba was gone, he couldn't handle that knowledge. And he might lose Sasuke, too. He couldn't do this. He couldn't stop thinking about it.

Kiba was _gone_. His best friend, his anchor, his lifeline, his fucking brother. He didn't even know what to call him anymore. He was the best thing that had ever happened to him. The first true friend he had ever made. The first person who had found out he was Naruto Uzumaki and hadn't hated or admired him. He was just another person to Kiba, and that was what had made the Inuzuka so amazing.

In his own way, Naruto had loved him. Kiba and Sasuke were the two most important things in his life since his grandmother's passing. Sure, he loved Tsunade, and he cared about her and Jiraiya a great deal, but Kiba and Sasuke were... Tsunade and Jiraiya knew him because of family. Kiba and Sasuke knew him because they'd all just met. They'd learned about Naruto themselves, and hadn't been forced to care about him due to family ties.

Kiba was so important to him, and now he was gone, and it was all his fault. Now all he had left was Sasuke. And he wasn't even guaranteed he'd get him back.

Turning almost mechanically, he headed slowly towards his unit, hating the knowledge that once he got there, Sasuke wouldn't be there for him. Kiba wouldn't be there for him. And Sai just wasn't good enough.

It was mean, and in some ways unfair, but it was the truth. Sai had never been good enough, and he never would be. Naruto _needed_ Kiba and Sasuke. He needed them like he needed oxygen. And he didn't have either of them anymore. One of them, he would never have again.

He climbed the small set of stairs up towards the door of his unit, took out his keys, and paused, listening. He could hear someone crying in the unit next door. He would've assumed it was Hinata if he hadn't known she was gone. Probably with Mrs. Inuzuka in Ontario. Neji had left school a few days ago, probably to fly down there, though Naruto wasn't sure.

When another sob met his ears, his heart wrenched in his chest, and he grit his teeth. It was Kankurou. The crying was too much like a guy's to be any of the girls, and he knew Kiba was as important to him as he was to Naruto.

Not wanting to listen to him, the blond quickly unlocked his door and disappeared into the house, shutting it behind himself and leaning back against it. He let his bag fall off his shoulder and sank to the ground, burying both hands in his hair. He wanted to cry. He wanted to sob like a child over the loss of his friend, but he didn't feel like he deserved it. Crying would make him feel better, at least for a few seconds, but he didn't deserve even a millisecond of respite. Kiba's death was _his_ fault.

He heard footsteps approaching, then they trudged down the five steps to the entrance, Sai taking a seat on the bottom one and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

It wasn't enough. If it had been Sasuke's hand, or Kiba's, it would have sufficed. But even if Sai hugged him, it wouldn't be enough.

"It wasn—"

"Don't." Naruto's voice sounded foreign to his own ears. "Don't say it."

Sai had been trying to insist it wasn't his fault since they'd found out, but every time he opened his mouth to speak that lie, Naruto stopped him. This _was_ his fault, and he wasn't going to let anyone insist it wasn't. He deserved every horrible emotion thrown at him for this.

"I know that this won't make it hurt less, but I thought you should know I got to speak to Sasuke today."

Naruto stiffened at those words, not only for the content, but because Sai had said Sasuke's name. He wanted to be angry that Sai hadn't told him, he'd have skipped class, but it was possible he hadn't known. And even if he _had _known, it wasn't like Naruto would've been able to speak to him, so what was the point in Sai telling him in advance? But still, even just hearing Sasuke's voice... Fuck, he needed him so much right now.

The only thing that would help more than Sasuke at this point was heroin, and the only reason Naruto hadn't gone to get any was because he knew he still had Sasuke. He needed to keep his head. He'd lost Kiba, no way was he losing Sasuke, too.

"He's still alive," Sai continued. "I had to tell him. About..."

Naruto hated that Sasuke knew. And he also knew it was his fault. It was all Naruto's fault. Now, even if Sasuke got out, he was going to hate him. Kiba was his friend, too. Fuck, Kiba was _everyone's_ friend. The guy was too likeable for his own good. Was there anyone he _wasn't_ friends with?! Even _Sai_ had liked him!

He wanted to ask how Sasuke had taken it, but he'd been finding it hard to speak since it had happened. He only did when it was necessary, like stopping Sai from insisting something wasn't his fault.

As it turned out, he didn't even need to ask. Sai was a mind-reader.

"It hit him hard, but I tried to soften the blow by pissing him off first. I don't know if it worked, but... He'll handle it. And when he's back, you can both spend some time trying to come to terms with what happened."

_Come to terms with what happened,_ Naruto thought bitterly. He was never _going_ to come to terms with this. He actually felt like he needed to talk to Yamato, for once. He needed someone to unload all this anguish onto. He needed _help_. And he wasn't going to get it.

A knock at the door made Sai stand. Naruto assumed he was checking who it was, and he let out a sigh before bending down again.

"It's Suigetsu."

Naruto lacked the energy to be afraid of why he was there. He just pulled his hands from his hair and stood, moving towards the living room while Sai opened the door.

"Hiya buddy," Suigetsu said cheerfully. "How's it going?"

"I'm great," Sai replied, the cheer in his own voice almost believable. Naruto felt he only knew the truth because he knew him better than that.

The blond plopped down on the couch and stared at the television, wondering what new horror Pein had in store for him today.

"How's the kid doing?"

"Honestly?" Sai's voice lowered, but Naruto heard it anyway. "I'm pretty sure Kiba's death broke him."

"Huh. You know, the boss had me come by to check up on him for that very reason. Can't have him broken like this."

"Wait, you don't have another task?" Sai asked, surprised.

"Not yet, but now that I know the kid's lost all will to live, the boss will probably come up with a nice task for him, to remind him of what, exactly, is at stake."

_Goody,_ Naruto thought bitterly. When this was over, Pein was going to wish for death long before Naruto finally granted it to him.


	20. Just One Hit

**Disclaimer: Did you guys know K. Masashi has very well-trained guard dogs? Even if you throw meat at them like in cartoons, they still think your ass is tastier. I have stitches in weird places...  
**

* * *

Jiraiya stared out the window at the water rolling across the sand, the movement soothing and somewhat peaceful. Tsunade had been outside sitting in the sun for almost an hour now, Hinata having long since left her side. He watched her hair blow in the light breeze while she stared out across the ocean, wondering what was on her mind right now.

He heard someone approach him and turned his head, eyes locking on the other person's before looking back out the window.

"It's peaceful here," the other said.

"It is," Jiraiya agreed. "Ironic, isn't it? For us to be sitting here, on a beach, while everyone at home is suffering. Seems unfair. If anyone deserves to be here, it's Naruto. After everything... Even if he gets Sasuke back, he'll be broken. Perhaps too broken for even Uchiha to fix."

"He won't be alone," the other argued.

"Regardless, after everything he was forced to do... To Kiba, to Hinata, to you." He turned to look at the professor beside him, and Genma just smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I know Naruto did what he had to do. And CSIS has been very accommodating. The prison wasn't really that bad, I wasn't exactly locked up with murderers or anything." He shrugged. "And my record's going to be cleared up once I get home. I'm not mad at Naruto, I know he did what he had to do." He glanced out the window again, watching Tsunade lean back slightly, still looking out at the water. "I'm worried about Sasuke. If he doesn't come back... Naruto's not the only one who will suffer."

"Kakashi, you mean?" Jiraiya asked.

"He's one person, but we all care about Sasuke." Genma sighed. "I watched him grow up. He's as much my son as he is Kakashi's. If something happens to him..."

"Naruto won't let that happen." Jiraiya insisted. "He's hurting, but he'll get him back. And once he's back, we start worrying about fixing Naruto." He winced. "If he even _can_ be fixed after all this is over."

Genma nodded and shook his head. "They shouldn't have done it." He looked at Jiraiya again. "Kiba. It wasn't right. He's going through enough, he doesn't deserve this, too. He'll think it's his fault."

"He did it to me once!"

They both turned and Jiraiya let out an annoyed growl before hurrying across the room and grabbing at the moron's arm before he fell flat on his face and popped his stitches.

"What part of 'stay in bed or so help me' did you not understand?" Jiraiya demanded angrily, trying to force the other back towards his room without injuring him.

"It's boring in there, fuck," Kiba snapped irritably. "Everyone's out here or on the beach or doing God knows what somewhere else, I'm fucking _bored_!" He smacked at Jiraiya's arm angrily until the older man got him at least seated in a chair, then took a step back.

"You should be resting. It's only been a week since they got the bullet out, your wound needs time to heal properly and if it gets infected again, Tsunade will let you die out of spite."

"It won't," Kiba snapped. "Stop being such a mother, fuck, I've already _got_ one of those!"

"Naruto's going to need you, we just want to make sure the lie CSIS told doesn't actually come true," Genma insisted, sitting down beside Kiba. "And regardless of the fact that Naruto did the same thing to you in First Year, I feel like this is a little different. Sai doesn't know it's not true, and Naruto doesn't need any added stress right now."

"Eh, blondie'll be fine," Kiba insisted, waving his hand. "He's too freaked about Uchiha right now, I don't think he'll be too upset. Not that I don't think he'll be upset," he shot in quickly when he saw Jiraiya about to yell, "I just think that... he has more to worry about right now."

"Kiba, he went to see Orochimaru in order to be allowed one visit with you," Jiraiya reminded him. "If that isn't proof enough that he cares about you almost as much as Sasuke, you're delusional."

"I am just trying to make myself feel less like shit, fuck," Kiba insisted, wincing when he shifted in his chair and something obviously hurt. "I don't wanna think about him being upset over me. It's not right. I can kind of imagine how he felt back when he pulled this whole 'I'm dead' thing."

"On the bright side, at least you'll be safe," Genma offered. "They think you're dead, so they'll stop trying to come after you."

"They think you're in jail, so you're safe, too," Kiba reasoned.

"Raidou's not."

"Raidou will be fine," Jiraiya cut in. "Everyone will be fine." He checked the calendar on the wall by the front door and pressed his lips together. "It's February. Pein promised Naruto he'd have Sasuke back before the end of the school year. It's almost over."

"Six months down," Genma muttered.

"Three to go," Kiba finished for him. "A lot can happen in three months."

Jiraiya was thinking it, too. He just didn't want to dwell on it.

* * *

Naruto stared blankly out the window, his mind wandering to things he didn't want to focus on, but it was hard. No matter what he did, his mind would always return to Kiba being dead and Sasuke probably following suit. He didn't know what else Pein could possibly to do him to make this any worse. He'd already broken him, what more did he want?

He was sure there was much more he could do. Kill Sasuke, for example. Naruto would never recover from that, and he knew it. Which was pretty much the only thing stopping him from doing something stupid, like getting some heroin. He wanted it so desperately, just once, to be able to take away the pain of Kiba. He just wanted one small reprieve, was that too much to ask?

But no. He couldn't. Because he knew himself, and he knew that if he had just one hit, he'd want another. And another. And another. It would be last year all over again. He would always want more, because as soon as the happiness faded, and the horrors of his life came back, he would need more. He would need another escape.

A knock at the front door interrupted his musings and he turned towards the stairs, knowing it was Suigetsu. Who else could it be? Nobody else came to visit. A lot of his friends had actually even moved off-campus. The units around him were mostly empty.

Kankurou had dropped out of school because of Kiba's death, and Temari and Gaara had gone home with him. Neji had actually disappeared off the face of the Earth, nobody was quite sure where he was. Naruto had thought he was in Ontario with Hinata and Mrs. Inuzuka, trying to cope with Kiba's death, but according to Sai, he'd never gotten on a plane, so all Naruto could do was hope he wasn't one of the next tasks and that he'd just gone home.

Ino, Chouji, Sakura and Lee had rented a house together, probably because while Naruto's life was falling apart, they'd all started dating. Not the four of them, of course, just Ino and Chouji, and Sakura and Lee. While Naruto hated them for their happiness, he was also kind of glad that they had each other. Which was more than he could say for himself.

The only ones still sticking around were Shino, Tenten and Shikamaru. They'd all moved into the same unit to feel less lonely. Naruto could relate. He kind of wished they'd all left, as well, because having even one of his friends here right now was hard for him. He deserved to be alone, and in a way, he wanted it.

When he heard the front door slam, he waited expectantly for Sai to call him downstairs, but he didn't. He couldn't even hear Suigetsu, which was a miracle in and of itself, since the guy usually never shut up. Frowning, Naruto stood and headed for the door, looking down the stairs in time to see Sai beginning to climb them. The other paused a good distance from him, which Naruto was grateful for. He still didn't feel comfortable around him.

"Was that Suigetsu?"

"Yes. I have your new task."

Naruto frowned. "This is different. Why isn't there a video?"

"I don't know, I just have an address." He held up a piece of paper.

The blond's heart leapt at the possibility that this was the end. That they were going to pick up Sasuke, but he quickly forced that hope back down. It was only February, no way was he going to get the Uchiha back right now.

"When?"

"Tonight, at midnight. You should get some sleep now while you can."

"Right," Naruto whispered, turning to look into his room.

"There's something else."

He turned back to Sai, and saw the agent press his lips together. Dread pooled in the pit of his stomach, but he forced himself to remain calm for the moment. He doubted very much that, barring Sasuke dying, anything could upset him after Kiba's death.

"Neji's been found." And there went that.

"Is he okay?" Naruto blurted out.

"He's fine," Sai reassured him, holding out both hands in front of himself. "I guess I didn't know how close he and Kiba were. He was at a bar downtown when they found him. It appears he was staying at a hotel during the day and drowning himself in alcohol at night."

And Naruto felt guilty again. Because there was another person Kiba's death had affected.

"His family has been trying to get him to come home, but he refuses. Tenten just left to stay with him, try and help him cope." He hesitated. "Shino and Shikamaru have left to stay with Sakura and the others. They figured there was no point in sticking around with everyone else gone."

It hurt hearing that, because Naruto was still there, but in a way, he understood why they were all leaving. It was safer, they wanted to stay away from him. He understood, but it still hurt.

"Right," he whispered, averting his gaze and clenching his fists. "It's almost over, so maybe once this is all done, I can..."

_What?_ He thought to himself. _I can what? Talk to them again? Tell them how sorry I am about Kiba? How it was all my fault and I wished anything it could've been me who'd died?_

Another fear that had started to creep up on him since Kiba's death was Kakashi. How was Kakashi going to react if he couldn't get Sasuke back? Kakashi had put everything on the line to take Sasuke in when he was just a teenager, barely even legal age. If he didn't get him back... He was scared of what that would mean.

All the professors cared about Sasuke, he was like their honorary son because of Kakashi. If he didn't come back... If he _died_...

"Naruto."

The blond blinked and looked up, slowly taking a step back and ducking out from the other's touch, Sai letting his hands fall from his shoulders. Naruto backed up another step and crossed his arms, hating this feeling.

It didn't matter how strong he was, how hard he tried. It ultimately came down to Pein, and whether or not he would actually let Sasuke go. Naruto could be as strong as he wanted, but strength of character wasn't going to bring Sasuke back. If willpower could have done that, he'd have been back by now.

And Kiba wouldn't have been dead.

"I'm going to bed," he whispered, turning to enter his room. "Wake me up when it's time to go."

He shut his door behind himself and fell face-first onto his bed, hugging Sasuke's pillow to himself. His eyes slowly opened when he noticed it.

His scent. Sasuke's scent.

It was gone.

* * *

"Please!"

"No."

"_Please_! You don't under—"

"No."

Kiba let out an angry growl coupled with annoyance and rubbed furiously at his head before leaning back in bed again and crossing his arms. He winced when the action caused his stitches to stretch and lowered his hands back to his lap.

"This is so unhealthy," he insisted almost desperately, watching the man pace back and forth in front of him. "Do you have any idea what's going on in Vancouver? Because I'm getting daily updates from Hinata!"

"I am well aware of the occurrences in Vancouver, Mr. Inuzuka, but that does not change my orders."

"Oh, come _on_!" Kiba exclaimed, resisting the urge to throw a tantrum. "One of my friends is drowning himself in booze! Another one dropped out of school! This is seriously affecting everyone I know, you can't just expect me to _sit_ here and—"

"That's exactly what you're going to do," Tsunade informed him angrily, striding into the room. The agent who'd been watching him seemed happy to be relieved and left the room without a second's hesitation. "You're supposed to be dead, Kiba, and if you don't want to _actually_ die, you're not going anywhere and you're not talking to _anyone_!"

"Tsunade, Neji is literally killing himself. You can't expect me to sit here and do nothing!" he insisted. "Telling them isn't going to hurt anyone! If they know—"

"If they know, then they react to the news," she barked angrily. "If they react to the news, word gets out. If word gets out, you're back on their hit list, and so help me, I will _not_ have Naruto actually go through your death! You're too important!"

"And what about Neji?!" Kiba shouted angrily, feeling pain spark across his chest, but ignoring it. "Isn't _he_ important, too?! Tsunade, this is Hinata's _cousin_! Kankurou dropping out was bad enough, but Neji's drinking himself to death! I can honestly say I didn't know I meant so much to him, but now that I do, I can't just sit here and let him kill himself! Not for me!"

"If you move from this bed, Kiba Inuzuka, so help me, I will knock you out!" Tsunade shouted at him. "Naruto is going to _need_ you when this is over, and I will _not_ allow anything to happen to you! Not again!"

The hysterical edge in her voice made Kiba pause in his argument, watching the woman with concern. She fell down into a chair beside the door and covered her face with one hand, seeming to try and calm herself down.

The brunet scowled down at his hands angrily. He could understand everyone's worry, I mean, it was _his_ life they would be risking if they admitted he was still alive, but he wasn't the only one who was important here. Kankurou was a wreck, according to Hinata's conversations with Temari, and Neji had only recently been found after he'd gone AWOL when news of Kiba's death had reached Vancouver.

And then there was Naruto... He wanted him to know more than anyone. Shikamaru had told Hinata that he looked dead every time he saw him. Naruto looked dead, and Kiba couldn't have that. If the stupid moron didn't get his shit together, he was going to lose Sasuke. And Kiba wouldn't be able to handle that.

Not only for Naruto's sake, but for his own, too. Sasuke was his friend as much as Naruto. And it honestly hurt to know his fake death was affecting him so much. Sure, Kiba'd had to endure the same thing in first year with Naruto pretending to die, but the difference was that he hadn't been suffering through a test or a game or whatever like Naruto was. And on top of that, while they'd been close back then, it was nothing compared to how close they were now.

It wasn't right. It wasn't _fair_. It just... And he didn't even know!

He didn't _know_ that everyone had moved out of Fairview to help him. He didn't know that Sakura and Ino had argued with Gaara for _hours_ about staying, to help him, to support him. But Gaara was right, as he often was. Having anyone close to Naruto right now put them in danger, and that would cause more stress for the blond.

They hadn't moved out because they wanted to. Gaara had forced them, and as much as he hated him for making that call, considering they all thought Kiba was dead, it was the right call. He just hoped when this all blew over that everyone would be okay. That they'd go back to Naruto like Kiba and forgive him and help him through getting over another year of complete and utter bullshit.

He looked up when someone knocked on the door and when it opened, Hinata stepped in. He could tell by her expression she'd just gotten off the phone with someone. He wasn't sure what she was telling everyone about her whereabouts, but figured she was lying and saying she was in Ontario with Tsume.

"Hey," he said, forcing a smile. "Any news?"

"I just spoke to Sakura," she said, wiping at her eyes. Kiba could tell she'd been crying, but she'd been forcing tears so often lately when she spoke on the phone that it was hard to tell anymore if they were real or fake. She _had_ to cry on the phone, otherwise no one would believe Kiba was actually dead.

If nursing fell through for her, she could always go into acting.

And furthermore, after all the shit they'd gone through this year, Kiba was absolutely positive that he was going to marry her, no matter _what_ Neji said.

"How is she?" Kiba asked, shifting slightly and wincing when another zing of pain shot through him.

"Fine. Well, as fine as she can be. I mean, you're dead." She smiled slightly at that and moved further into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. Kiba took her hand and offered her an encouraging smile.

"How's Neji?" Tsunade asked from her perch by the door, causing the Hyuuga to turn to her.

"Tenten just went to where he was staying. With her departure, Shino and Shikamaru are leaving Fairview as well. Everyone's now gone."

Tsunade nodded. "Good. Gaara was smart with how he organized it. If they'd all left at the same time, it would have been suspicious."

"Is Tenten going to be able to help Neji, do you think?" Kiba asked in a low voice, letting his thumb rub gently against her hand.

"I don't know. I'm pretty sure nothing will help him." She turned to smile at Kiba. "You meant a lot to him."

"More than even I knew," the brunet said with a snort. "He's gonna kill me when I go back."

"He might," Hinata admitted, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Please stop yelling at agent Iwashi, it's starting to aggravate him."

"If he wants me to knock the brat back out for some peace and quiet, I'm all for it," Tsunade muttered from the door.

"I am nowhere _near_ as loud and obnoxious as my mother," Kiba insisted dryly.

"True, but at least we can shut _her_ up with alcohol." Tsunade smirked.

* * *

Gaara had been waiting for exactly two hours, eight minutes, and forty-seven seconds. He felt like the older man was currently attempting to avoid him, but he wasn't going to be deterred. He had nowhere else to be presently, and if Homura thought that making him wait was going to force him to leave, he would be sorely disappointed.

He was not going anywhere until they spoke. He needed to know a few things, and he needed to know them now. If not for his father currently being unavailable, Gaara would have called in a favour two hours, nine minutes and thirteen seconds ago. But considering his father was indisposed, he had to settle with waiting patiently.

Also, it allowed him time to wonder how long before the poor secretary he was sitting across from finally couldn't take anymore and forced Homura to see him. So far, she was doing remarkably well, Gaara had never met someone with so much courage.

He resisted the urge to glance at his watch, mostly because he knew that not much time had passed since he'd last checked it. Besides, he was fairly certain his mental count was accurate, so there was no need to confirm what he already knew.

It was hard, though. If only because he was alone. This was entirely foreign to him, and honestly, he didn't enjoy it. Ever since he'd become friends with everyone at university, he was used to being with at least one of them. When it came to worrying about Naruto, the group had always been the same.

Him. Inuzuka. Hyuuga. And occasionally Uchiha. But mostly just him and the first two.

Now, Inuzuka was dead, and Hyuuga was falling to pieces.

He wanted to be angry with Neji for breaking down like he had, but a part of him could understand. Gaara wasn't a very emotional person at the best of times, but even he could feel a hollow emptiness in his chest whenever he thought about Kiba. He'd honestly never expected to care so much about the loudmouth brunet, but over the years, they'd become friends, and the knowledge that his stupidity was no longer going to be present was... Gaara didn't know. He supposed the emptiness in his chest was grief, and the uncontrollable urge to hit things was his method of attempting to cope with the sadness of having lost someone he had regarded as a friend.

But as much as he wanted to break down like his brother and Neji—though not to the same extent—he couldn't. Because they were all forgetting one crucial thing: Naruto still needed them. Or, more specifically, Sasuke.

He was still alive, as far as Gaara knew, and he would very much like for that to continue. He wanted Uchiha back. With Kiba gone, Sasuke was now a necessity for Naruto. He had seen how the Inuzuka's death had affected him, and if Sasuke died...

Gaara honestly wasn't sure Naruto would be able to handle it. He was almost positive that Naruto would just blink out of existence, no matter how hard the rest of them tried to help him. And as much as he hid it, it really did hurt him to be distancing himself like this with the blond.

He _knew_ Naruto needed them right now, but he also knew their presence was more of a hindrance to him. Having them still around, still close to him, proved they didn't believe he was a bad person. While he was hoping that his message to Naruto a few months back about how they knew what was going on was well-received, he could also understand how it would seem like it wasn't true, given the circumstances.

But no matter what happened, whether this ended well or not, Gaara was going to return to his friend. He would be there in any way he knew how to help Naruto through whatever happened. Because whether people believed it or not, Gaara _did_ have a heart, and he _did_ care about people. Naruto was one of them.

And Kiba had been another.

The door in front of him finally opened and Gaara's Emerald gaze rose to regard the man standing in the doorway. Homura looked uncomfortable to see him again, which suited Gaara just fine.

"Mr. Sabaku. I apologize for keeping you waiting." He cleared his throat, not looking sorry at all, and motioned him into his office. "Please, come in."

Gaara stood and strode past the secretary, entering the old man's office and taking a seat in one of the chairs across from his desk. He heard the door shut behind him and watched the older man make his way back to his seat before taking his place once more.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"Have you located Uchiha yet?" Gaara demanded.

Homura looked angry at being asked that and removed his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "No, we have not, but rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to—"

"That isn't good enough," Gaara interrupted easily. He could tell Homura wanted to interrupt, but the look he got must have informed him that to do so wouldn't be wise. "CSIS is not allowing the Sabaku family to aid in the search, and yet you have nothing to show for your months of investigating. You are not focussed on retrieving Sasuke alive, you are more concerned with the Akatsuki. My father's people would do nothing but find Sasuke. That is why you don't want them helping."

"CSIS is capable of handling its own business, Mr. Sabaku, you would do well to remember that," Homura snapped. "I don't take kindly to threats, and you've already threatened me twice to date."

"Naruto Uzumaki's life is falling apart around him, and his only solace in having lost Kiba is getting Sasuke back alive." He narrowed his eyes. "I suggest you remember that."

"What happened to Mr. Inuzuka is a tragedy." Homura put his glasses back on, and Gaara noted he didn't seem upset at all at the knowledge that Kiba was dead. "I know what he means to Naruto, but he isn't going to be returning."

Gaara frowned slightly at those words. Not because of the other's complete and utter lack of respect for the death of his friend, but more because of what he'd said.

"Kiba was important to other people, as well, not just Naruto."

"I understand he is well-liked, but that isn't going to change anything. I'm sorry for your loss, but Mr. Inuzuka's death is a tragedy that cannot be rectified."

He frowned further, eyes narrowing. Why was Homura speaking like that? It made him wonder... Could it be possible?

"Kiba isn't dead, is he?"

Homura blanched. "What?! That's outrageous! Of course he is!"

"You keep referring to him in the present tense," Gaara informed him. "Speaking of what he _means_ to people and how he _is_ well-liked. If he were dead, you would be referring to him, as I am, in the past tense." Gaara scowled. "Furthermore, you are being very impolite while discussing him to a friend of his. If he really has passed, you would do well to have more respect."

"Respect?!" Homura thundered, getting to his feet. "You have shown none to me! Coming in here as you please because of who your father is, demanding things of me, making ridiculous claims! Get out of my office!"

"Are you sure that's a road you would like to go down?" Gaara asked darkly. "If I leave without any answers, I will do what I must in order to find Sasuke _and_ Kiba."

"If you search for your friend, he's as good as dead!" Homura bellowed.

"Which one?"

"Both of them!"

The emptiness in Gaara's chest seemed to be filling itself back up, and he almost felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Both of them.

He couldn't hurt someone who was already dead.

Kiba was alive.

* * *

Sai couldn't help but continue to cast glances at Naruto out of the corner of his eye. The blond hadn't said a word when he'd gotten into the car, and while he hadn't turned on the radio, he was clearly throwing out an "I don't wanna talk" vibe. For someone who was as chatty as Naruto, it was hard to sit beside him while the other wasn't speaking.

He was staring out the window, his face resting against his palm, just like he had been for the past six minutes of their drive. Sai couldn't help but wish things had turned out differently, in so many ways.

"Naruto—"

"No."

"We have to—"

"No."

"I'll make you late," Sai threatened. He would never do that to him, ever, but if the threat of it was enough to make Naruto just talk to him, he wasn't past threatening him.

It had the desired effect. The blond stiffened, and his visible hand clenched into a fist. "What?" he snapped angrily.

"I'm sorry it meant more to me than it did to you, and I'm sorry Sasuke was angry about it, but you do understand it was _me_ he was mad at, right?"

"Whatever."

"Naruto," Sai insisted, beginning to lose his patience. "I can't help you if you won't let me. What Pein did is unforgivable, and believe me, when this is all over, I will happily turn the other way for you to torture him as much as you want for what happened to Kiba, but right now, you're starting to sink further and further into a pit of despair that no one will be able to pull you out of if you don't at least lean on me a little bit. I know what happened changes things, but you're still my friend, and I care about you, and I want you to trust me."

He was silent for a long while, but Sai was okay with that. He'd just wanted to get it all out, and he had, so he felt better.

Naruto's next words made that feeling go away.

"He did it for you because you showed him it was what you wanted."

Sai glanced at the other out of the corner of his eye again, but Naruto hadn't moved. He was still staring out his window.

"He knew you wanted it, and he did it because you let him see it. If you'd stayed professional, if you hadn't let your emotions out so easily, he never would have known. If he hadn't known, he wouldn't have given me that task."

The agent let out a slow sigh. "I know," he admitted. "I know it was my doing, and I _am_ sorry, but this doesn't change anything. I know you're with Sasuke, and when we get him back—"

Naruto snorted, and before he could say "if," like Sai knew he would, the agent hurried on quickly.

"_When_ we get him back, everything is going to be exactly as it was. I know that."

"Whatever," Naruto said again.

They continued on in silence, Sai finally turning into a deserted parking lot. He climbed out, looking around slowly before shutting his door. He didn't recognize where they were. Somewhere in Kits, close to the Burrard Bridge, he knew that much, but _where_ exactly, he wasn't sure.

Naruto exited the car as well and looked up at the building in front of them. It was under construction, clearly only half-complete, and Sai knew this was a bad idea. They shouldn't be wandering around in a construction site but, this was where he'd been told to bring Naruto, so this was where they were.

"Come on, let's get this over with," Naruto muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and heading for the gate.

Sai followed him easily, the two of them climbing the padlocked gate and continuing into the half-constructed building. It was easy to find where they had to go, someone had drawn large red arrows on the floor. They followed them down the corridor, squinting in the darkness. Naruto pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, illuminating the area at least a little bit.

When they finally reached the end of the corridor and turned left, they could see a door at the end of the next hallway, light flooding from beneath the door. Sai shot a look at Naruto, who clenched his jaw and snapped his phone shut before pocketing it.

"You're almost there, you know," Sai told him. "You're almost done."

"I know," Naruto said, gritting his teeth. "But that doesn't mean Pein is going to disappear."

He trudged forward purposefully, Sai following him. When they reached the door, the agent leaned over Naruto to knock.

Suigetsu answered, telling them to enter, and Naruto pushed open the door.

He took one step in, then froze. Sai could practically see every hair on the back of his neck stand on end, and his visible hand was shaking. Frowning, he leaned to the side so he could see past the blond, and felt his stomach drop.

The room was bare save for Suigetsu—holding his camera as usual when there was a task—two chairs, and a table.

But the thing that made Sai curse internally in every language he knew wasn't any of those items. It was what was _on_ the table.

A needle. And he didn't need to be a genius to know what the liquid inside it was.

Heroin.

_Fuck._

* * *

**A/N: PFFFT, me kill Kiba. Come ON! -gets glared at by everyone from Y- ... Okay, maybe that one time... -more glaring- Okay yeah, that other time, too... -gets pointed at FF profile- OKAY! SO MAYBE I DO KILL HIM SOMETIMES! But that's the NEW me, this fic is still technically part of the OLD me, so I had to think like old me and old me was a wimp who would never kill Kiba! Leavemealone -sobs in a corner- _  
_**


	21. A Royal Fuckup

**A/N: I figured after the first three year wait for one cliffhanger, and the almost year and a half wait after the second cliffhanger, I should be nice and not make you guys wait another year for this cliffhanger |D So here's another chapter for you guys to... do something with?  
**

**Disclaimer: I think I might actually be wearing K. Masashi down! He seems to be losing hope that he'll ever be rid of me!**

* * *

The second his eyes found what awaited him, Naruto couldn't decide what he wanted to do more. Turn around and run for it, or race into the room and grab the needle. His hands were shaking with the want, the _need_. God, just one hit. Just one. He could get through whatever else Pein threw at him if he could just have this one shot.

He wanted it so badly it was unbearable. The beast he'd tried to tame last year was making itself known again, screaming painfully in his skull, clawing at his insides, roaring with need. The monster was making itself known again, clawing its way to the surface, shredding his insides. His stomach ached with the need for it, his brain screamed with the want for it.

And it was there. Right there. It would be so easy. Just to take it. To forget. Just for a little while. Forget about Kiba being dead. Forget about Sasuke being taken. Forget about having enjoyed being fucked by Sai. He just needed to forget, just for a little while. Was that too much to ask? He didn't want anything earthshattering, just a few hours of blissful ignorance and peace.

He hadn't realized he was still standing in the doorway until Sai gripped his shoulder almost painfully and walked into the room with him. Naruto shuffled forward, eyes unable to leave what he knew would be a blessing. Just one hit, he just needed the one, then he would be okay.

_No,_ a voice in his brain ordered. It was so quiet, though. So faint. Almost like a whisper. He could barely hear it. _Think of Sasuke! You can't do this, you'll forget! You'll get addicted! Don't do this! Find a way out!_

Naruto barely felt himself being manoeuvred into the chair across the table from Suigetsu, the other having taken his own seat, his camera tilted slightly but the record light still off.

"Hello Naruto. Sai." Suigetsu smiled pleasantly.

Naruto just nodded his head in greeting, eyes unable to leave the needle. It was so close. It was _right_ there. He could just reach out and take it. He didn't even have to wait for Suigetsu, he could just reach out one hand and take it right now.

He could feel his hand beginning to rise, beginning to move across the table, but before he could touch the needle, another hand fell atop his own and squeezed tightly. Naruto couldn't decide if he was grateful, or angry.

The beast inside him was still tearing apart his insides, his brain was still sobbing uncontrollably for the release, but another smaller part of him was relieved. Relieved his hand had been stopped before he'd done something stupid.

"Can I take it?"

For a second, Naruto wasn't sure what those words meant, or why he'd said them. It took longer than he'd have liked to realize that Sai was the one who'd spoken. For the first time since entering the room, he tore his gaze away from the needle, looking up at Sai, who was clenching his jaw tightly while glaring at Suigetsu.

"Can I take it for him? Pein doesn't need to know. This is more of a reprieve, anyway, doesn't he want the kid to suffer? How is this going to make him suffer, it'll just force away the pain he's feeling over losing Kiba."

_No!_ Naruto's brain shrieked. _No, I want it! I need it! Don't take it from me, I fucking __**need**__ it! Don't you fucking dare take it!_

He felt like Sai knew what he was thinking, because the hand on his tightened further, almost to a painful degree. The pain helped Naruto push the beast back just a little bit. He didn't _want_ this. He didn't! He _couldn't_! If he took it, he'd forget. He might even get addicted again. Just the one hit and he might need more. He'd fall off the wagon and he wouldn't be able to stop, and he _could not_ risk Sasuke like that. He couldn't forget.

Sai wasn't a junkie, and probably hadn't taken drugs before in his life, and yet he was doing this for him. Because he probably knew how terrified Naruto was. Not of the drug itself, but of his own _need_ for it. Naruto couldn't take this hit, he couldn't.

He wanted to—fuck did he _ever_ want to—but he couldn't.

"Sorry champ," Suigetsu said, Naruto's insides squirming horrendously, eyes back on the needle. "That's not the way it works. Don't know why Pein wants the kid to take it, and don't care. This is his. Besides, you're too pale, I'm pretty sure Pein would notice a difference."

Naruto saw Suigetsu pat his camera out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn't rip his gaze away from the needle.

He was warring inside himself. He wanted it so bad, but he didn't. But he had to take it, didn't he? He didn't have a choice. And would it really be so terrible? Of course not, it would help. He would forget. But he didn't want to forget. And what if he got addicted again? He wouldn't though, because he just needed the one hit. Just the one.

Just one hit.

"Naruto."

He could feel his heart beating wildly against his chest, and even though Sai was speaking to him, he didn't look at the other. He couldn't. His eyes couldn't leave the needle a second time, he was scared if they did, it would disappear.

"Naruto," Sai said again, this time closer. The blond could feel the other's breath again his ear, the action almost sensual. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't imagine what's going through your head right now, but please trust me. I _will not_ let you get addicted again, do you understand me? You do this for Sasuke, but after that, I will _never_ let you touch this again."

Naruto couldn't nod. He didn't want to understand that. He didn't want to be promised he could never have this release again. He needed it so badly. It wasn't even a desire anymore, he literally _needed_ it. His insides ached. They hurt. He needed it to make the pain go away, to make him forget, to...

He clenched his fists tightly, struggling to regain control of himself. "I understand," he forced out.

"I won't let this happen to you again. You know that right?"

"Yes." It was hard forcing the word out, but he managed it, eyes still on his prize.

It was incredible. Something so small, and yet so destructive.

Naruto heard a beep, and figured the camera had started recording. He ignored that fact, eyes still on the needle.

"Chop chop, I haven't got all night." Suigetsu sounded almost bored. Naruto envied him. He wished _he_ could be bored right now. Wished more than anything that he didn't want the drug as badly as he did.

He quickly shucked his hoodie, practically tearing it off himself and tossing it over his shoulder at Sai. Suigetsu dropped rubber tubing on the table and Naruto's hand snatched it up immediately, beginning to tie it around his upper arm.

Sai moved to try and help him, but Naruto was so practised at it that by the time he even tried to aid him, the tubing was in place. Naruto could feel his heart increase its pace. He was excited for this, and ashamed for being excited. But he couldn't help it, he just needed it so fucking much right now!

Reaching out with his free hand, clenching the fist of his other to help his veins pop out, his fingers shook with desire when he finally touched the needle, and almost let out a shout of agony when it was pulled away.

His eyes shot up to Suigetsu, who was watching him intently before removing the cap, hitting the plunger so some of the liquid escaped the tip.

"Sorry kid, I'm the one who has to administer it."

"Why?" Sai asked harshly. Probably more harshly than was wise, considering the camera.

"Because he might cheat," Suigetsu said with a shrug. "And to prove a point."

"Cheat? How could he possibly _cheat_?" Sai bit out angrily.

"He could miss the vein on purpose. Sure, he's a junkie and all," the other grinned at this, "but that doesn't mean he's not trying to resist. While missing the vein will just dull the effects of the drug, Pein would still prefer he get the whole shebang."

Naruto extended his arm instantly, his fist still clenched. "Do it."

"Oh, eager, are we?" Suigetsu smirked, shifting forward and holding Naruto's arm with his free hand. He positioned the needle, then slowly slid it into Naruto's arm.

The blond waited, his breathing quickening, and his stomach continuing to claw at him. Soon, he would have it. So soon. Fuck, he could almost _taste_ it! He could almost _feel_ it!

And he waited for it. And waited. And waited.

His eyes shot up from the needle to lock with the murderer's.

"What are you waiting for?" Naruto snapped. "Fucking do it!"

The smirk on the other's face was positively gleeful.

"Beg for it."

The blond's heart stuttered to a halt in his chest.

"What?"

"You want it, right?" Suigetsu's thumb tapped gently on the end of the needle, but didn't push the plunger down. "You _need_ it? How badly do you need it?"

Naruto could feel his self-control beginning to shatter. "I need it."

"That wasn't very convincing. How _badly_ do you need it?"

"I just—" He cut himself off, breathing hard, his eyes lowering to the needle again. Fuck, why wasn't he just _doing_ it?!

Naruto heard the door open behind him, but he paid no attention to that. He couldn't. Not with his release so very close, and at the same time indescribably far. Why was he _doing_ this to him?! Couldn't he _see_ how badly he wanted? Needed it? Didn't he know how much Naruto had longed for this moment? How many times he'd dreamt of it?

"Tell me," Suigetsu said. "Tell me how much you want it."

The blond reached out, grabbing at Suigetsu's hand, trying to force him to push the plunger, but his arm was suddenly restrained, stopping him from moving.

"I need it," Naruto said desperately, feeling his self-control finally reach its breaking point and snap. "Please, I fucking need it! Give it to me, I need it! I can't stand it, just do it! Do it! Fucking hell, just fucking do it, please! I can't take it, just give it to me! I need it now! Now! Give it to me _now_!"

And finally, _finally_, he felt the drug slowly creep its way up his arm, the sensation washing over him almost instantly. He relaxed immediately and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair and letting his head fall back, relishing in the sweet blissful nothingness.

* * *

Sai wanted to rip her head off. He wanted to grab the stupid bitch's stupid head, rip it right off her neck, and drop-kick it across the continent. The second the door had opened, and Konan had walked in, he wanted to murder her. Because he knew she was there to watch Naruto suffer. He _knew_ it. He might not have spent much time with her and Pein, but he knew enough to make it clear Naruto's suffering was bringing her great joy.

When she'd grabbed his arm, restraining him, forcing him to admit how desperately he wanted the drug, he had been seconds away from ripping her throat out with his teeth. He still wasn't entirely sure how he'd managed to resist, because God help him, he wanted the bitch to fucking _die_.

There was a beep and he looked up in time to see Suigetsu hold out the camera to Konan. She took it, seeming pleased, and turned to regard Sai with disgust, as if he'd somehow offended her with his mere presence.

"I'll take this to Pein," she informed Suigetsu, still looking at Sai. "He'll want Uchiha to see this." Then, she turned and left the room.

Sai grit his teeth and, ignoring Suigetsu, he bent down in front of Naruto and cradled his face with both hands. Fuck, he looked so at _peace_! He looked so damn happy! But he knew that once the blond woke up, he wouldn't be. He would be fucking devastated this had happened. Sai couldn't protect him from something like this. He wasn't even sure what he could possibly _do_ once the other finally snapped out of it.

"If he gets addicted again," Sai said, his voice low and dangerous, "I'm coming after you."

His gaze shifted to Suigetsu. He knew his words were dangerous. He knew he was letting too much of himself show, but he couldn't help it.

The murderer actually looked about as unhappy as Sai felt. He was scowling at Naruto with his lips pressed together in a thin line, almost like the outcome hadn't been anything like he'd expected. Probably because Naruto was still being tortured _mentally_, and he preferred the _physical_ pain.

"You should take him home."

Glaring hatefully at Suigetsu, Sai stood and gently pulled Naruto to his feet. The blond complied, leaning heavily again the agent, and let out a content sigh. The sound made Sai's chest hurt. Naruto was going to hate himself later for having wanted this so badly. He would hate himself for allowing even a few seconds of forgetting about Kiba and Sasuke.

"Come on, Naruto," he said, gently turning him and easing him towards the door.

It was harder than it looked. Being high wasn't the same as being drunk. Some drugs, yes, did have similar affects to alcohol, but heroin was not one of them, and considering Naruto's usual state of mind when he was high, Sai found it very hard to convince himself to stop Naruto's hands from wandering.

It was like it was ingrained in his brain. Every time he'd gotten a hit in the past, Orochimaru was right there, having his sick, perverted way with him. It was like a part of Naruto was associating this feeling with sex, because the whole way to the car, he kept trying to undo Sai's pants.

He was thankful the gate had magically been opened while they'd been inside, because there was no way he'd have gotten the blond over it.

"Stop it!" The agent snapped angrily when they'd reached the car, giving Naruto a sharp, angry shake when the blond's hand had attempted another venture into his pants. "God dammit, Naruto, this is hard enough for me, _stop_ it!"

He unlocked the car and threw open the back door, shoving the blond roughly inside and buckling him in before slamming the door. He hurried around the car and got behind the wheel, starting it and screeching quickly from the lot. He had to get Naruto away from him as quickly as possible. He didn't trust himself with him right now, especially not after what they'd done. He would _not_ betray Naruto's trust like that.

Of course, it was hard, because the idiot kept leaning forward and breathing hotly against his ear while trying to unbutton his shirt. Sai had to elbow him in the face to force him to sit back down properly, and he knew he'd get pulled over if a cop was nearby considering his speed, but he didn't care. He had to get out of this car!

In what felt like hours, but was more like seven minutes, he was back at Fairview, having returned much faster than he'd left. He pulled over in front of the unit and climbed out, then dragged the blond from the back and hurried up the stairs with him to the front door. He fumbled the keys when Naruto's hand rubbed his crotch and cursed, bending down to grab at them and shoving them into the lock. He didn't bother closing the door behind him once he got them inside, he just raced up the small flight of stairs to the living room, bypassed it to the one room on that floor they didn't use, and shoved Naruto onto the bed inside. Reaching out to slam the front door when he passed it by, he raced up the stairs to his own room and turned on his light before proceeding to tear the place apart looking for his handcuffs.

Finally finding them, he hurried back downstairs, finding Naruto still where he'd left him, and grabbed the blond's wrist, cuffing it to the headboard. Then he backpedalled quickly and sank to the ground, burying his hands in his hair. That had been way too much of a test for him. He honestly hadn't been sure he'd be able to resist. The only reason he had was because he knew Naruto would never forgive him.

"Sai..." the blond moaned from the bed, making the agent stiffen. "Sai, why are you so far away?"

_I can't do this,_ he realized, eyes widening. He had to get out.

Leaping to his feet, he rushed to the front door and practically pulled it off its hinges in his haste to leave the unit. He slammed it behind himself and locked the front door, then rushed down to his car, which still had the keys in the ignition and the engine running.

He jumped behind the wheel, and backed up quickly before speeding out of Fairview and back down the road towards University Boulevard.

He struggled hard to control his breathing, feeling like he'd never had to exert so much self-control in his life. And he _hated_ everyone for making Naruto like this. He hated Deidara for getting him addicted in the first place. He hated Orochimaru for raping him and making him be like this when he was in that state of mind. He hated Pein for kidnapping Sasuke. He hated Suigetsu for forcing him to take it again. He hated Konan for being so fucking _happy_ for having seen Naruto suffer.

And he fucking hated Kiba for having fucking died!

Sai slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street, punching hard at his steering wheel, trying to exert all of his anger. He wanted to kill someone. He wanted to make this go away for Naruto. He wanted this to just end! He wanted everything to be okay, wanted it to be the end, and have Kiba here and alive, and Sasuke back and alive, and Naruto happy.

Why couldn't Naruto be fucking _happy_?!

Sai screamed as loud and long as he could, continuing to punch at his wheel and dash angrily, no one around to see or hear him at this hour of the morning. He wished someone was. He wished he could just find someone to pay for all of this.

Letting out a few angry pants, he rubbed at his face angrily then hit the gas again, continuing to drive. He didn't know _where_ he was going yet, he just knew he needed to blow off some steam, and he certainly couldn't go back to Naruto right now.

He was in the process of passing the area they'd been in when he realized he'd dropped Naruto's sweater when he'd been struggling not to kill Konan. It was still in that room at the construction site.

Perfect. A distraction. It was something to do. Good.

He turned sharply at the next light, and was almost there when he saw something that made him turn off his headlights and brake again.

There was still a car in the lot. And not just any car, _Suigetsu's_ car. He was still here!

His eyes snapped towards the gate when he saw the other exiting the area, heading for his car. He was carrying Naruto's sweater, obviously not wanting anyone to find it in the building in case they got to wondering why a random sweater was lying on the ground. When the other got into his car and started driving away, Sai hesitated for only a second before following. He stayed just far enough back that he wouldn't be noticed, but close enough so that he could keep the other in his sights.

For a few blocks, he was certain Suigetsu had no idea he was there. But then, he turned sharply and sped up, and Sai knew. Sai knew the other had spotted him and now, if he didn't stop him, Sasuke would die.

So he sped up, too. His car was much faster, and he caught up in no time. They were starting to cross the Burrard Bridge by then, and Sai slammed the front of his car into the back of Suigetsu's, all of his rage and hatred for these people bubbling to the surface. With another cry of rage, he slammed into his trunk again, and again. The next time he did, the other's car jerked sideways, hit the cement blocks for the bike lane, and flipped. Suigetsu leapt out of his car instantly, the vehicle slamming into the cement railing of the bridge and crumpling.

Sai slammed on his brakes, grabbed his gun from his glove box, and exited his car, holding it tightly in his hand. Suigetsu was coughing loudly and struggling to get to his feet. His left arm looked broken, and he had deep scrapes along one side of his face, probably from skidding across the road.

When his eyes found Sai's, he paled and scrambled back. Sai raised his gun, aiming it at Suigetsu, feeling all his hatred for Pein bubbling up.

"Sai, wait! You don't wanna do this! I'm—"

Sai fired. Suigetsu ducked and scrambled towards his car for cover.

"Sai, _listen_ to me!"

He was done listening. He just fired relentlessly at the car, knowing he was wasting bullets, but it was making him feel better. Then, he did one of his favourite tricks. He released the magazine ever so slightly to make it sound like he was out of bullets, and waited.

Suigetsu shot from behind his car, jumping up onto the railing for the bridge, and Sai pushed the magazine back in, firing at his back. Suigetsu let out a shout while he half-jumped, half-fell off the bridge. Sai raced to the railing, aiming downwards, but Suigetsu was nowhere to be seen in the murky darkness below. There was blood on the cement railing, and at this height, while injured, it was unlikely he'd survived.

Breathing hard, Sai clenched his hand around his gun, then pulled out his cell phone, speed-dialling Yuygao.

"_Sai, do you know what time it is?"_ her sleepy voice demanded.

"Yuugao, I... I fucked up." He looked over the railing. "I really fucked up. I need your help."

* * *

Yuugao slammed on her brakes just outside the police line and leapt out of her car, not bothering to shut the door. She flashed her badge irritably at the officer standing on point and ducked under the caution tape, racing towards the group of ambulances that were currently the only thing blocking Sai from view.

When she rounded the corner of the first ambulance, and saw him seated on the ground, his gun in one hand, and the other buried in his hair, she did the only thing she could think of.

She walked up to him and, when he looked up, she slapped him across the face. His gun hand flew out to stop him from falling over, and in retrospect, she should have been more cautious, but it didn't go off, so she didn't care.

"What were you thinking?!" she shouted angrily. "Do you have any idea what you just did?! You probably just _killed_ Uchiha!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Sai screamed back desperately. "Don't you think that's all I've been thinking about?! I don't _know_ what happened, I was just so angry, and it just _happened_!" He covered his face with both hands, still clutching his gun in one of them. "I _know_ I fucked up! I know this is bad! But I didn't know who else to call! Yuugao, I don't know what to _do_!"

She didn't know either. This was bad, so very bad, and she didn't know how to help Sai help himself. He'd royally screwed up, there was no way to save Sasuke now. Sai had killed one of Pein's men, they were fucked.

"Yuugao, what do I do?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Sai, I don't know!" She buried her hands in her hair, trying to think. "You ran his guy off the road, we can't pretend he might not know that was you. And now CSIS is here and if he knows you're still on the scene..." She frowned, a thought coming to her.

"What?" Sai asked. "Yuugao, what?!" He sounded so _desperate_. It almost hurt to listen to him.

"What if you were trying to _warn_ Suigetsu?" She looked at him. "You were trying to warn him that CSIS was onto him. Maybe we arrived on the scene at the same time you were on the bridge. Suigetsu died, and you were arrested."

"How does that get me back to Naruto?" Sai demanded, looking horrified. "He's handcuffed to a bed!"

Yuugao wasn't going to ask. She was sure there was an explanation, but she didn't wanna know.

"You can escape. You can pick your handcuffs, you've done it before. We can fight, toss me out of the car, drive it to Naruto, take him, and call Pein."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"We tried," she insisted. "He won't bring you to Uchiha, that's a guarantee, but if you can meet him somewhere, get him to come out of hiding, we can swoop in and grab him. Then we can find Uchiha."

Sai buried both hands in his hair again, Yuugao keeping an eye on the gun he still held, and then slowly, he nodded. "Fuck. Fuck, this wasn't how I pictured it going down, but I don't have any other choice. God _dammit_!" He kicked angrily at the ambulance he was seated beside, and then stood, holding out his gun to Yuugao. "Let's do it. I don't have any other choice. I just have to pray Uchiha stays alive long enough for this to work."

And Yuugao knew he was praying. Because if Naruto lost Sasuke, Sai was going to lose Naruto forever.


	22. A Lie

**A/N: Dude, we can have thumbnails now? That'd be awesome if I wasn't so scared of using something from someone who now hates me and would love to get me suspended/banned |D  
**

**Disclaimer: I tried to get a restraining order against K. Masashi so that if he was near me while I tried to get Kiba, they would arrest him, but I forgot he's already got like, five against me so that didn't work out as planned |D**

* * *

Sasuke didn't know what was going on out in the other room, but whatever it was, he knew it was bad. From what he could hear, Suigetsu had gotten shot, and Sai had been "arrested" by CSIS. He'd miraculously escaped—fancy that—and was now seeking refuge. Konan was adamant he not be brought to where they were now, because he was bringing "the little shit," as she had dubbed Naruto, and it was too risky.

Juugo wouldn't entertain Pein leaving the premises without protection, and Pein was insisting he had to ensure Sai wasn't caught again because he knew too much about Akatsuki and about Pein himself. He didn't want him to blab, which meant they had to find him and shut him up.

"What about Uzumaki?" Juugo asked. "What do we do with him?"

"We still have Sasuke. He'll do what he's told. We'll dispose of Sai, and continue with our game. CSIS can't know where Sai came from, or why he's around, they found him on the bridge. There's nothing linking him to Naruto. Once he's been disposed of, we'll bring Naruto home and the game will continue."

Sasuke scowled, not liking where this was going. Surely something had gone wrong if Suigetsu had been killed. Sai's escape from CSIS was obviously a ruse to flush Pein out, and so far, it was working. With any luck, Sasuke would be home before dinner. Which would be nice, seeing as how he was _really_ getting tired of eating oatmeal.

"And Uchiha?" Konan demanded. "Are we just going to _leave_ him here alone?"

A nice thought, but Sasuke knew better than to hope.

"Juugo, get the case."

_Shit,_ Sasuke thought, not liking the sound of that. He stared at the door, severely hoping he wasn't about to die. He doubted it, considering Pein's words about continuing the game, but still a spark of fear _did_ pass down his spine at the words.

The door to the room he was in opened and he stiffened unintentionally. Pein wandered in, smiling brightly and holding a syringe. This didn't bode well.

"Seems your boyfriend's handler is turning out to be a pain in my ass."

"My sincere apologies," Sasuke said dryly, which made Pein laugh.

"I was hoping to show you the latest video, but alas, it'll have to wait until later. It's a shame, too, it's a good one. You should have heard him beg, it was quite satisfying. He begged like a child wanting candy." He laughed loudly, as if he'd just made the funniest joke on the planet.

Sasuke failed to see the humour. Maybe he just wasn't sadistic enough.

"Either way, we all need to go out on a little trip, but we can't leave you here awake, you might escape." He bent down in front of Sasuke, reaching out with his free hand and grabbing the other's fringe, wrenching his head back. The Uchiha grunted, but said nothing.

"Don't you worry, just in case we're not back before you wake up, we're going to ensure you're nice and secure, but in the meantime, give me your arm."

Sasuke glared at him, and Pein's jovial demeanor faded, replaced with the hard, cold persona Sasuke had long since gotten used to.

"I'm about to see your boyfriend, Uchiha, be very careful not to _fuck_ with me right now."

The raven's eyes glanced at the needle the other held, wanting to know what was in it before allowing it into his body, but with the threat looming... He wouldn't risk him hurting Naruto, especially since he would actually be seeing him.

So, he grit his teeth, and held out his arm.

"Good boy."

The needle was jabbed through his flesh and he winced, gritting his teeth. Pein emptied its contents into him and he felt a numbing coldness snake up his arm. Instantly, he noticed his vision beginning to blur, sleep tugging relentlessly at him. He struggled to fight it, but it was soon clear he wouldn't be able to resist for long. Within seconds, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped over sideways, not even staying awake long enough to hear Pein bark for more shackles.

* * *

In. Out. In. Out.

Naruto scratched at his arm, feeling his veins burning beneath his skin.

In. Out. In. Out.

His heart wasn't supposed to beat that erratically, was it? He was certain it wasn't normal.

In. Out. In. Out.

Why was he even saying that, anyway? He couldn't even remember what—oh right, breathing. He was breathing. Too fast. He had to calm down. He had to calm _down_!

But God, it was _hard_! He couldn't stop fidgeting, scratching his arm, rubbing his thighs, clawing at the material that covered his stomach. God, he needed another hit. He needed it so badly it was starting to hurt. He wanted another hit, he wanted it _now_!

_No! Sasuke! You're going to get Sasuke!_

That knowledge was the only thing keeping him together right now. He didn't know what had happened, he'd still been too out of it while Sai had been explaining it, but the gist of what he got was that shit had hit the fan, and Suigetsu was dead. Now Sai was going to meet up with Pein, and CSIS was following along.

They would find Pein. They would catch him. And then, they would find Sasuke.

Naruto started scratching furiously at his arm again until a hand reached out and grabbed his own.

"Stop it. You're gonna make yourself bleed."

"Right," Naruto said, forcing his hands into fists. "Right."

"It'll be okay, Naruto. Everything's going to be fine. It'll all work out. You'll have Sasuke back before the day's through."

"Right," he said again.

He didn't want to tell Sai he doubted it. Things seemed to go wrong for him more often than not, and he was positive today would not be any different. Something was going to happen. Something would go wrong, and Sasuke was going to die.

Of course, the advantage right now was that if they were meeting Pein, then he wasn't with Sasuke, which meant he might be safe for a while. But the problem with all this was that if they met with _only_ Pein, and he never came back, then Sasuke was going to get killed by the whip-loving brute or that blue-haired bitch.

This was going to go wrong. He couldn't even see a way for this to go right. It was all going to go horribly, horribly wrong, he could feel it.

Sai's phone trilled and Naruto glanced at it before he started rubbing at his arm again, resisting the urge to scratch, trying to ignore the need clawing in his chest, and the fire dancing through his veins.

"It's from him. I have a location," Sai said.

Naruto knew he wasn't talking to him. He was wearing a wire, he was obviously informing the others that he now knew where to go. And he told them so, giving them the address, and then turning to head in that direction.

It had taken Pein a long time to reply. Sai had pushed Naruto into the car around seven in the morning, and they'd been driving around for hours and hours. Now, the sun was beginning to set, the time nearing at least five in the afternoon, and they'd only just now gotten a location.

"You're not a very valuable asset," he commented, beginning to scratch again until a hand fell onto his once more.

"Not to Pein, no, but it doesn't matter. The second we're in, CSIS will follow. Just make sure you stay down. Don't get shot, or Uchiha will kill me."

Naruto said nothing to this. He just clenched and unclenched his hands, staring down at the angry red lines on his arms from where he'd been scratching. God, he felt pathetic. One hit and he was already back to being an addict. At least he wasn't throwing up this time, though the itchy blood was just as unwelcome.

"We'll get you help," Sai said in a low voice, again giving Naruto the impression that he could read minds. "Sasuke will be there for you, and we'll... we'll get you help."

Naruto didn't say anything. He had nothing to say. So he just stared out the front window, and let Sai drive him towards the asshole who had his boyfriend.

They arrived in less than half an hour, Sai hurrying out of the car like he was panicked and wrenching the blond from his seat. Naruto stumbled after him, following as best he could, and struggling to ignore the beast screaming inside him. His brain screamed back that Sasuke was on his way home, and that the beast could go fuck itself. Sasuke was better than any drug.

Sai threw open a large factory door, shoving Naruto inside quickly and following, shutting it behind him. He grabbed the back of the blond's shirt and pushed him forward, looking around. Naruto wondered if he felt as panicked as he was pretending to look. Or maybe he wasn't even pretending. Either way, he was doing an amazing job.

"Pein?" he shouted out once they've cleared a row of crates. "Are you here?"

"Sai."

The agent hurried forward, still pushing Naruto along with him. The blond was starting to feel like a shield, but he knew that wasn't why he was being pushed like this. Sai just wanted to look panicked, and being like this with Naruto helped convince others it was genuine.

When they rounded another corner, they found Pein, the blue-haired bitch, and the whip-loving beast. All three of them were watching Sai approach dispassionately.

"Thank you for coming," Sai said, moving Naruto slightly so the blond wasn't in front of him anymore. "I was worried CSIS would catch up with me. Where can you take me?"

"Konan," Pein said easily.

The woman had her gun out in a second, and Naruto felt all the air rush from his lungs. There was no way CSIS would get here in time. Sai was going to die, and then Sasuke was going to die, and Naruto was going to be a puppet forever and ever and would have all the heroin the world had to offer and—

The gun went off. Naruto's head hurt. He didn't understand. What happened?

"Freeze!"

He looked up, finding he was lying on the ground, with Sai on top of him. He'd pushed him down to stop him from getting shot, effectively knocking Naruto's head against the cement floor. Konan, the blue-haired bitch, had blood trekking down one of her shoulders. She narrowed her eyes angrily and her gun flew up, but not in a direction that made any sense to Naruto.

She fired, and his whipper's head snapped back before he crumpled to the ground.(*) She had just killed one of her own people. Why?

"Open fire!" Sai shouted. "Stop her, now!"

Konan's gun shifted to aim at Pein, but before she could fire, her own head snapped back and she fell backwards, her gun sliding from her hand.

Pein just smirked at Naruto, raising both hands in the air, smiling pleasantly at everyone around him. Sai was off Naruto in an instant, hurrying forward towards Pein. The blond didn't understand. Why had Konan shot one of Pein's own guys?

"Shit! Stop him!"

Those words clued him in. Because these people weren't the types to go down. They weren't like Deidara's pathetic branch, they were the big guns. They weren't going to let CSIS take them. Maybe the whipper's loyalty had been questioned, so Konan had shot him before he had the chance to chicken out on killing himself.

She'd gotten killed before she could finish the job, but now... All Pein had to do was drop what he'd been holding into his mouth, and bite down.

And that was exactly what he'd done.

"No!" The scream was primal, and foreign to Naruto's own ears. He leapt to his feet and bolted across the short distance, ignoring people shouting at him to stay back, ignoring arms that tried to grab him. He just bowled through them and skid to a halt beside Pein, who'd fallen to the ground, choking on his own spit and foaming at the mouth.

"No!" he shouted in his face, grabbing the front of his shirt and shaking him. "Tell me where Sasuke is! Where is he?! Tell me where he is! Tell me!"

Pein let out one last gurgle, which Naruto suspiciously believed to be a laugh, then his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"No," he whispered, staring down at the man, his hands still clutching the front of his shirt. "No! No, dammit! Tell me where he is!" He shook him violently. "Tell me!"

"Naruto—"

The blond screamed with rage, pulled back his fist, and punched Pein across the face. Hard. Then he did it again. And again.

"Tell! Me! Where! He! Is!" He yelled one word with each punch, feeling panic rising in his chest. Sasuke. They didn't know where he was. They didn't _know_ where he _was_! If they didn't find him, he was going to die! He would starve! He would disintegrate! He would just blink out of fucking existence! No, he had to find him!

"Tell me, you son of a fucking bitch!" Naruto yelled, punching him again. "Where's Sasuke?!" Another punch. "Where is he?!" Another punch. "Where! Is! Sasuke?!"

"Sasuke is dead!"

The words were like a slap to the face, and Naruto panted, staring down at Pein, blood on his fist and more of it smeared across the dead man's face. Sasuke was dead? That was impossible. Why had Sai said that? He wasn't dead, they could find him! They could still _find_ him!

He felt someone behind him, a chest pressed against his back, hands coming into view and slowly prying his own off the other's shirt. Then, he was pulled to his feet, and the second his brain kicked in that he was being dragged away from Pein, from the man who knew where Sasuke was, Naruto went crazy again.

He screamed and flailed violently, kicking out his legs and struggling to pull away from Sai. He finally elbowed him in the chin and fell back down beside Pein, grabbing his shirt with one hand and punching him with the other.

Someone was grabbing at him again, lifting him straight off the ground, his arms pinned at his sides. He tried to kick out again, but Sai forced him down rather painfully, and then kicked out his knees. Still hugging him from behind, pinning the blond's own hands against his chest, he lowered himself to his knees behind Naruto and held him tightly.

The blond could feel him shaking. Or maybe that was him shaking. Before he was even aware of it, he could hear loud, heart-wrenching sobs echoing through the area, and it took him a few seconds to realize the agonized sound was coming from him.

"Everything," he sobbed loudly, struggling to breathe. Every pull of air into his lungs was a struggle, the sound loud and painful to his own ears. "I did _everything_... he asked me... I-I did it all... for Sasuke! For _Sasuke_! It was all for _nothing_! I—it was all for nothing! In vain! Fuck! _Fuck_!"

And now that he'd started, he couldn't stop. He just bowed his head and continued to sob, everything he'd gone through washing over him like a tidal wave.

"Kiba is _dead_! Kiba's dead, and it's all my fault! And Sasuke! I did everything... _everything_! For Sasuke! And he's _dead_! He's dead! Kiba is dead! They're both dead! They're _dead_!"

Sai's grip was almost painful he was holding him so tightly. Naruto was almost positive it was the other man shaking, now, because each exhale against his neck from Sai seemed to shiver.

"I'm sorry," Sai kept saying, over and over again. "I'm sorry. Naruto, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"I-I can't..." Naruto forced out. "I can't breathe... I can't breathe..."

"I'm sorry," Sai continued to say, rocking Naruto slightly backwards and forward. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"We can still find him," someone said from behind them. A woman. Naruto struggled to inhale, but he could see dots dancing in front of his eyes. He was going to pass out soon. "Sasuke could still be alive, we can find him."

"You're right," Sai whispered, still rocking Naruto. "Sasuke's alive. We'll find him. I promise. He's alive, and we'll find him. We'll find him. I promise. Please Naruto, just breathe. We'll find him. I promise. I _promise_."

His words were a lie.

Sai never found Sasuke.

* * *

**(*) The "Whipper" is Juugo. Naruto never found out his name.  
**

**A/N: So my Naruto's changed a lot, and I had a hard time feeling justified with him sobbing like a child, but then I figured... Best friend's dead... Boyfriend's dead... Can't really get much more justifiable than that |D Hope people agree...**


	23. Bomb Shelter

**A/N: Did I leave you hanging long enough? |D I'm sorry, that was mean |D  
**

**Disclaimer: K. Masashi's gotten reaaaaaalllyyyyy good at seeing through my disguises. I was positive my old post-man outfit would fool him...**

* * *

Kiba watched the front door of the house loom closer and closer, and the more he approached it, the more frightened he was to reach it. When the car finally stopped in front of the door, he almost didn't want to exit the vehicle. He didn't know what he was going to face when he walked through that door.

Sasuke was gone. He was actually gone. They'd searched for him for weeks, but he was gone. And now, after all that time, Kiba had finally been allowed on a plane. He was back, and he didn't want to be. Because this was too big, he didn't think he could do this.

Naruto had been told he was still alive, but because Sai had promised to find Sasuke and had failed, the blond didn't believe him. Now, he was going to get proof, and honestly, Kiba was scared.

"Are you okay?"

He turned to Hinata and smiled at her, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Yeah. I just... I'm worried about how he's gonna react."

She leaned forward and hugged him tightly. "I'll tell the others where you are. I'm sure they'll understand."

"Yeah," he whispered, hugging her back just as tightly, then releasing her. She leaned back and he let out a slow breath, then pushed open the door. He walked up to the other's entrance, and stared at the wooden surface for a long while before reaching up and ringing the doorbell.

Half a minute passed before the door finally opened, Kiba attempting to smile at the man standing in front of him, but not succeeding.

"Hey Jiraiya."

He nodded a greeting, then reached out one hand and squeezed Kiba's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know this is just as hard for you. Sasuke was your friend, too."

"Yeah." Kiba felt his chest constrict. "But I had my time to grieve, and Naruto... he needs me." He touched his chest lightly. His injury had healed considerably, but it was still tender to the touch, and he really hoped Naruto wasn't going to aggravate it. He might end up dying for _real_.

"He really does. You have no idea." Jiraiya moved aside and Kiba stepped into the house.

It seemed... haunted. Terrifying. This house had never been anything but fun in his memory, and now it was going to feel like this for the rest of his life. Like something was missing. He would never walk in on Naruto and Sasuke ever again. He would never play video games in the entertainment room and thoroughly whip Sasuke's butt ever again. He would never stand in the kitchen wearing stupid aprons and cooking with Naruto ever again. Those days were gone.

This was his life now. And it sucked.

Sighing, he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up them, steeling himself. Then, he began to ascend, walking slowly down the corridor towards Naruto's room. He could hear him crying through the door, and it hurt. It hurt to stand there and listen to him. And soon, he was going to hear it even more clearly. And he hated that knowledge.

Hesitating only briefly with his hand raised, he knocked on the door.

"Go _away_!" Naruto hollered almost hysterically.

Kiba licked his lips. "I can't do that, Naruto. I care about you too much."

There was a loud clatter in the room, then thumping, and the door flew open. Naruto looked like complete and utter shit. His hair was dishevelled, and his blue eyes were puffy and bloodshot from crying. They were currently staring at Kiba so wide he could see the whites all around his irises.

Before the brunet could open his mouth, a fist flew at his face and he stumbled sideways, pain exploding across his cheek. He reached up to touch his face, opening his mouth to say something else, but again, he didn't get the chance.

Naruto was hugging him so hard it was painful. His face was buried in Kiba's neck, his hands gripping the back of his shirt so tightly he could hear it ripping, and tears were wetting the brunet's skin where Naruto sobbed against him.

"Oh my God. Oh my fucking God! Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh my God, Kiba."

Clenching his jaw tightly to stop tears from spilling over, Kiba wrapped his arms around Naruto and hugged him tightly, struggling to hold the other up when the blond's knees gave out. He decided it would be easier to lower them to the ground and knelt down with him, holding Naruto as tightly as the blond was him.

"You're alive. You're alive. Oh my God, Kiba. You're alive."

"Yeah," he whispered, tightening his grip. "I'm alive. And I'm here for you. As long as you need."

* * *

It hurt. A lot.

Sai had never known how hard it could be to lose someone without them dying. He hated himself for being so weak, for having fallen for Naruto, and for having made such a ridiculous promise. Promising he could find someone who clearly was never going to be found. He'd been right all along, Sasuke was dead, and he wasn't coming back, no matter how badly Sai wished he could bring him back. For Naruto.

Sai rubbed his face, and then winced when his hand brushed against the bruise he'd received from Kakashi. He didn't mind. He was glad the professor had attacked him instead of Naruto. The blond didn't deserve to suffer even more by knowing Kakashi hated him.

Burying his face in his hands, he tried to stop his self-pity, because he hated self-pity. It didn't suit him any more than it did Naruto.

He was angry at the turn of events. Angry that things had ended up this way. He'd always wanted Naruto to be his—but never like this. He'd always wanted to have stolen him from Sasuke which, of course, wasn't exactly a shining moment for him, but it was more acceptable to him than having Sasuke's death be the chance he needed.

"At least he has Kiba," Sai said, letting his hands fall back onto his desk. He'd been happy to find out the Inuzuka was still alive. Pissed as all hell for being lied to, but happy. Naruto needed him and Sai... Sai knew he wasn't good enough. But Kiba was good enough. Kiba would help him, and eventually, after a time, Naruto would be okay.

Or, as okay as he could possibly be.

A knock at his door caused him to look up and he cleared his throat before calling for whoever it was to enter. Yuugao appeared a second later, eying him warily and pressing her lips together.

"Someone's here to see you."

"It's not Kakashi again, is it? My face isn't ready for round two."

"Uh, no. It's not."

She glanced sideways, looking at someone Sai couldn't see, then stepped aside. When the figure stepped through his door, Sai stood instantly, his gun drawn and aimed at the person walking into his office. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his finger itched to pull the trigger.

"Give me a reason," he breathed, his voice low and dark.

"You should be a little more gracious," Suigetsu informed him coldly, his arm in a sling and his face looking like it had seen better days. Evidently, his fall into the ocean hadn't been kind to him. He was lucky the shot to the shoulder was the same one with the broken arm, or he'd have had a hard time opening the door.

"You're lucky I didn't die, Baikan," the other continued.

Sai didn't care what Suigetsu thought. Despite him being alive now, he'd waited too long to show up. Sasuke was dead, and this sack of shit could go back to the bottom of the ocean for all Sai cared!

His eyes narrowed further, finger still itching to pull the trigger when Suigetsu reached into his jacket, wincing. He pulled something out, and Sai frowned, unable to tell what it was until the other man opened it.

Sai lowered the gun slowly, eyes locked on what he was seeing. _No fucking way..._

"I'm CIA, moron, and if I had died, you and the United States of American would've had some words."

"American. You're American."

"Nice catch," Suigetsu said dryly. He snapped his badge shut and shoved it back into his jacket. "Bad enough Juugo died," he muttered, mostly to himself.

"Was he CIA too?" Sai asked automatically, still trying to wrap his head around what he'd just heard. Why hadn't anyone told him anything? They could've worked together, and this would've all gone down so much more easily. And what _was_ the CIA doing on Canadian soil without consulting CSIS, anyway? It wasn't like _they_ made a habit of sending CSIS over without telling anyone!

"Nah, Juugo doesn't do the whole law thing. He was a bounty-hunter, but one of those guys we hire for the hard jobs. He was a close friend."

"I'd apologize, but I'm not feeling particularly gracious at the moment," Sai informed him, taking a seat and motioning irritably for Suigetsu to sit down as well. He was still sore at not being told about the other agent, though it wasn't like anyone else knew, either. The CIA obviously hadn't been very forthcoming.

He heard his door click shut and realized Yuugao had been lingering. She apparently decided they weren't going to kill one another, otherwise she wouldn't have left.

"Yeah, well, you almost destroyed years and years of undercover work, and almost killed me, to boot, so I'm not feeling very 'gracious,' either," Suigetsu informed him coldly, grunting while he took a seat and shifting in his chair to get more comfortable. "I _did_ tell you not to shoot me if the opportunity ever came up, you know. I didn't know that you were an agent, but I could tell you loved the kid, and I knew you'd betray Pein in a second to protect him. Apparently what I said didn't matter, seeing as how you shot me off the bridge."

"At least I missed," Sai replied easily.

"You're _lucky_ you missed, jackass," Suigetsu snapped.

Sai snorted and leaned back, crossing his arms. "So why was the CIA watching Pein, anyway?"

"Because as with CSIS, he has a lot to answer to." Suigetsu shifted again, evidently attempting to get comfortable, and failing. "It's classified for the most part, but as you have the same level of clearance I do, just in another country, and since my superior is having a nice chat with yours about how you shot me off a bridge, I'm allowed to share." He smirked slightly. Sai just scowled. "I was sent in seven years ago. Started at the bottom, worked my way to the top until I got so good that even Pein wanted me."

"So why not arrest him, then?" Sai demanded. "When you hit him, why stay with him?"

"Because, fuckhead, nobody wants the Captain of the Guard when the King is within reach."

The agent felt his stomach drop. Was Suigetsu implying there was someone even _higher_ than Pein? Shit, they'd fucked up once with Danzou, and now Pein wasn't the top dog? God dammit!

"Pein wasn't in charge?"

"Nope, you guys fucked up." He smirked. "Canadians."

Sai scowled again, but said nothing, motioning impatiently for Suigetsu to continue.

"You almost fucked everything up when you shot me off that bridge—"

"Seriously, let it go," Sai snapped.

Suigetsu just smirked, but continued. "I almost didn't get the chance to meet him, but lucky for you, I was requested by the head honcho the previous week, and I was going to be moving up in the world once Naruto's game was over. Thankfully, despite not being with him, I knew just barely enough for him to be located, and you shooting me ended up saving me from another few months of undercover work." His eyes narrowed then. "And just so we're clear, I'm going to get you back for that shot. I _was_ trying to tell you who I was, you just got trigger-happy."

Sai waved his accusations away, uncaring. "Who was it? The head of Akatsuki?"

Suigetsu shrugged, then winced and reached up with his good hand to touch lightly at his shoulder. "I don't know, some guy named Madara."

"And you're sure he's it? The end of it?"

"Yeah, we're sure. We did our homework, checked our sources, blah blah blah." He waved off the details. "He's already in our custody, looking at the death penalty. We got our guy, but just barely. Lucky for you, you're off the hook for almost fucking up seven years of my life." He snorted. "Now's when all the technicalities come in. We caught him on Canadian soil, so that's why my boss is here arguing with yours. Technically, he's our guy, but you guys are pretty stingy with what happens on your land."

"You're one to talk," Sai insisted with a snort.

"He was _our_ guy. I was in there longer. I deserved that catch." He eyed Sai with disdain. "You're lucky I didn't kill your ass. Or the kid."

Hearing about Naruto brought everything back into perspective for Sai. He was glad to hear Akatsuki would be out of his life forever, but it would never bring Sasuke back. If only Suigetsu hadn't been so fucking busy drowning in the ocean, he could've come out sooner. He could've told someone, they could have _found_ Sasuke! He would still be alive. And so would Naruto.

"You think Naruto's not dead?" he whispered, feeling guilt rising. "I don't think you understand the depth of his relationship with Sasuke." He winced, remembering how broken the other was, punching Pein continuously while screaming to be told where to find the Uchiha. "Even I didn't until all this happened."

"Eh, the kid'll be all right, con—"

"No he won't be!" Sai hollered, jerking to his feet and itching to pick up his gun and blow the fucking Yank's head off. "Why did you wait this long to come here?! Why didn't you immediately call us once you were out of the ocean or whatever the fuck and _tell_ us where Sasuke was?! You had your information, you knew who to go after, you could've called!"

"I did call."

Sai's head snapped back at that, Suigetsu snorting and scratching idly at his cheek.

"You interrupt me a lot. You should work on that, interrupting is a horrible habit."

The CSIS agent had to struggle to calm himself down before he spoke again, deciding that killing Suigetsu would _not_ be a good idea while the man's boss was in the building. "If you called us, we never got the message, so you should've tried again. It's been over a month since Pein's death, and Sasuke is still missing."

"Never said I called you."

Sai frowned at those words, the gears turning slowly, not able to understand what, exactly, the other was telling him. Suigetsu stood with a wince and reached into another pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and tossing it onto Sai's desk.

"He's probably sleeping right now, considering they've been trying to keep him sedated. Konan went in before they all left while he was unconscious and really fucked him up. Kid was in rough shape when they brought him in, but as I understand it, most of the people who are friends with Naruto are." Suigetsu moved around his chair, heading for the door. "And I heard Inuzuka is still alive, so I'm sure he can relate with the rough shape part of my comment."

Suigetsu reached out and pulled open the door, but paused before leaving, glancing over his shoulder at Sai, who was still having a hard time processing everything the other had said. Was he saying Sasuke was... Was the Uchiha _alive_?!

"Tell the kid I'm sorry, will you? About everything. But he doesn't have to worry anymore. He'll never have to worry again. Akatsuki's gone and they're not coming back this time. Make sure he knows to appreciate what he's got."

With that, the other agent saluted Sai with his good hand, then left the room, shutting the door behind himself. Sai just stared at the wooden surface for a few long seconds, then slowly, his eyes travelled down to the piece of paper sitting on his desk. He reached out, barely daring to breathe lest the words be blown away, and unfolded it, smoothing it out on his desk.

It had an address on it, and turning to his computer, he typed it into their database and waited for the location to pop up. Once it did, he let out a small laugh.

"You son of a bitch."

Sasuke was still in British Columbia, in the US naval base's hospital.

He was literally within spitting distance of Naruto's front door.

* * *

Kiba had never understood the basis behind making someone tea when they were upset. Realistically, he didn't understand how a cup of scalding, fake-flavour-filled water was going to make Naruto feel better about having lost Sasuke, but when Hinata said she was going to go and make some, neither boy said anything.

Truthfully, he knew that she just needed to get away from Naruto. It was hard on everyone that, after all he'd been through, he'd still lost Sasuke. The worst part was that none of them would ever truly understand how Naruto felt.

After everything he'd been through, everything he'd survived, the past three years of hell and torture... to _still_ not have gotten even an ounce of happiness... Kiba didn't know that Naruto would ever be able to bounce back from that.

He was... not better, necessarily, but at least calmer. Kiba's arrival had definitely helped. The knowledge that his friend was still alive had been a huge improvement, but big-picture-wise, not by much. All his friends had started coming by recently, though. In rotation, since having too many people around seemed to make Naruto uncomfortable.

The only people he could stand to have near him for any length of time were Kiba and Hinata. And Tenten, for some reason. Probably because she'd managed to help Neji through the loss of Kiba, and she seemed to really help with Naruto's own loss.

Still, Kiba knew he was just one person. He'd been back for two weeks, and he didn't think Naruto was going to get any better than this. Especially considering how Kakashi was feeling. Not that Kiba or the others had told Naruto about how Kakashi was feeling, but that wasn't really the point. Naruto probably suspected, it didn't take a genius.

"Do you think he knew?"

The brunet snapped out of his thoughts and shifted closer to Naruto when the other asked this, the blond's voice muffled by Sasuke's pillow, which he'd been hugging to his chest. Kiba bumped his knee against the other's, the two of them sitting with their backs against the wall on Naruto's bed, and let out a sigh.

"Who knew what?" he asked.

"That I didn't hate him like I said I did."

Kiba smiled and bumped the other's leg again. "Of course he knew, moron. He was Sasuke. You guys fight, fists fly, shit happens, but at the end of the day, you guys are always okay."

"Don't," Naruto whispered, his voice almost completely drowned out by the pillow.

"Don't?" Kiba asked.

"Don't ever say anything about being okay again," Naruto's grip tightened on his pillow. "That saying was a lie. And I think I hate my grandmother a little bit for making me stupid enough to think that anything could ever be okay."

Kiba sighed and raked his hand through his hair. It felt gross, he knew he needed to shower, but he barely had enough time to go to the bathroom anymore, let alone take a shower. He even _slept_ with Naruto, awkward as it could sometimes be, because he seemed to be just about the only person who could calm him down when he had a panic attack.

"I know it's not the same thing but... I'm here." He bumped the other's leg again with his own. "I was an okay ending, wasn't I?"

One of Naruto's hands left the deathgrip he had on his pillow and reached out blindly, finding Kiba's leg and clenching the material of his jeans in his hand. He didn't say anything, but Kiba understood. Yes, he was an okay ending, he just wasn't a great one.

"We're all here for you, Naruto," he promised. "All of us. We understand why you did what you did. We all knew from the beginning. And we'll always be here for you, through everything. You'll get through this. I can't promise it'll be easy, or that it won't hurt sometimes, but you'll get through this."

Naruto exhaled sharply. Kiba sighed at the sound, knowing what it meant. At first, when the brunet had started telling him these things, Naruto had shouted at him that he would never get through this. But after a while, he'd stopped shouting and resigned himself to making that noise. Now, whenever Kiba heard it, he knew Naruto was shouting at him in his head.

He raked his hand through his hair again, agitated and stressed. Honestly, trying to help Naruto through this had become exhausting, if only because he knew nothing he ever said was going to fix how broken Naruto truly was. Nothing was ever going to help him fill the void left behind by Sasuke's death. He was never going to truly be okay ever again. Nothing was ever going to make what had happened okay.

Considering it had been a month since Pein's death, and Naruto still hadn't gotten past the point of only leaving his bed to take a leak, Kiba was seriously beginning to worry that he was going to end up hurting himself. Or worse.

It wasn't the blond's style to even contemplate suicide, Kiba knew that, especially considering how much he appreciated still being alive after everything that had happened. But he _also_ knew that Naruto was finding it harder and harder to go on without Sasuke.

Two weeks with Kiba, and he still couldn't get him to leave his room. The only achievement he could boast about was that at least Naruto had stopped crying.

The doorbell rang then, and Kiba couldn't help but feel a little relieved that someone else was here. Hopefully, it was Tenten. If she was there, then he could go for a shower while she and Hinata spoke to Naruto. It was becoming harder and harder for Kiba to have even a few seconds of time to himself, and he _really_ needed that shower.

When Hinata let out a squeak after having opened the door, and something broke, he couldn't help but let out a disappointed sigh, because that one action made it clear to both of them who had just arrived.

"If Genma doesn't stop doing that to Hinata, I'm gonna start charging him for all the things he makes her break," Naruto grunted irately from the pillow, face still buried in it. "She's too pure for him to continuously pervert her like that."

Kiba had to bite his tongue against saying something stupid, like "At least prison didn't change him."

While he knew first hand Genma's stint in _actual_ prison had been relatively short, the fact that he'd been sent there at all was still a sore subject for Naruto. To be fair though, everything was a sore subject for him. Pretty much all of them had failed out of third year because of everything that had happened, and Kiba was actually relatively nervous about the next year. They'd been at UBC for three years now, and to graduate, they all still had another two. He really needed to next two to _not_ be like the previous three.

Especially in the gun department.

_Okay,_ Kiba decided to himself, bumping Naruto's leg again. _From now on, new rules. No more new people! Ever! __**Ever**__! And we go everywhere in pairs, no one goes anywhere alone! No one! And I stop getting shot! No more shooting of the Kiba! It's not good for my health!_

A part of him wished he could say it aloud, because he felt Naruto might pretend to smile, but similarly, he knew he couldn't. Anything that related to him and being shot was one of the things that set Naruto off, and considering he was trying to _stop_ the panic attacks, he had to be careful with what he said.

When the knock finally came to Naruto's door, Kiba got ready to listen to Genma be a complete and utter pervert. He was good about acting natural, and sometimes Naruto even forced a smile, but it was clear to everyone that even Genma was hurting about Sasuke's death.

"Come in," Kiba said when it became clear Naruto wasn't going to.

When the door opened, and Sai walked in, Kiba inhaled sharply, hoping to God Naruto didn't lift his head. His eyes shot to Hinata, jerking his head at Sai, silently asking her if she was crazy for letting him in here. The last time Sai had shown up, Naruto had tried to stab him with a fork. He'd been pretty vicious, he'd even drawn blood.

Hinata didn't say anything, she just had both hands covering her mouth, and it almost looked like she was going to be sick. Kiba frowned, looking at Sai again, and seeing the agent offering him a smile. He didn't return it.

As unfair as he knew it was to blame Sai, he did. He'd trusted him to take care of Naruto—which included taking care of Sasuke—and he'd blown it. Epic proportions of blowing it. Kiba hadn't just lost one friend; with Naruto like this, he'd lost _two_. He would never forgive him for that.

He suspected Naruto wouldn't, either.

He heard the blond shift beside him and hastily turned, putting one hand on the other's shoulder, trying to keep him calm. Naruto's eyes found Sai, stared at him, and then he buried his face back in Sasuke's pillow, inhaling deeply, even though Kiba knew the Uchiha's scent was long gone. Naruto had told him so the previous week while he'd been sobbing into Kiba's shoulder.

"I have nothing left to say to you," Naruto informed Sai, his voice muffled once more.

Considering the agent's previous reception, the blond was doing quite well this time.

"You could acknowledge that I tried my best," Sai said in a low voice, Kiba hastily motioning for him to stop talking, but the agent ignored him. Figured. "Sometimes, things don't go as planned."

"Understatement of the year," Naruto snapped, turning his head so he was glaring at Sai. Kiba kept his hand on the other's shoulder, trying to send him good vibes. He really didn't want to break up another fight between Sai and Naruto. He'd gotten kicked in the chest last time.

A part of him suspected it had only ended because the blond moron had just about killed him with the accidental blow, and Naruto had freaked out over hurting him.

"I tried, you know," Sai insisted with a scowl. "You have to give me a bit of credit, Naruto. I really did try."

"And look at where it got us," the blond snapped. "Things went even _more_ wrong. You fucking _shot_ Suigetsu off Burrard Street bridge. If you'd just let it go, everything would've ended, but no. You had to play the _fucking_ hero, and now here we are. You fucked up. You fucked up so badly, I'm surprised you didn't get an award."

There was a loud snort from somewhere to Sai's left, and the agent turned to glare at whoever was standing there. Kiba hadn't realized anyone else was there, and assumed it was Yuugao. The woman had been far more welcome lately than Sai had been. Probably because she'd been the one to attempt to clean up the mess Sai had made.

"I said things didn't go as planned, Naruto, I never said they went wrong."

"Oh, you're gonna get punched," Kiba said in a low voice, letting Naruto's shoulder go. After those words, the brunet felt like he could accept Naruto kicking the shit out of Sai. He deserved it after saying that.

"Didn't go wrong?!" Naruto hollered, almost deafening the teen sitting beside him and lurching off the bed, his fists clenched angrily at his sides. "Are you _saying_ that, in your _expert_ opinion, things _didn't_ go wrong?!" he shouted hatefully. "How could they have possibly gone _worse_?!"

"I could be dead," another voice supplied, Naruto freezing on the spot and all the air rushing out of Kiba's lungs. "That would've sucked."

There was no way. No _fucking_ way!

Kiba scrambled off the bed to stand beside Naruto, his eyes wide and his heart slamming against his ribs. He wasn't dreaming, right? Naruto had frozen, too, so the voice had been real, hadn't it?

Sai smiled at Naruto, the action not quite meeting his eyes, then turned to the other person with him, and motioned them forward, taking a step back himself. It seemed to take an eternity for his partner to shift from the side of the door into the doorway, and when he finally did, Kiba just stared. He didn't know what else to do.

The figure standing in front of them was on crutches, his left leg raised off the ground from an injury, and his face completely messed up like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. But... the features were distinguishable enough through the bruises and cuts that Kiba knew. He _knew_.

His mouth opened in shock, the other's name on his lips, but before he could even contemplate saying it, Naruto had launched himself across the room and slammed so hard into Sasuke that they both fell over. The Uchiha cried out when he landed, but he managed to laugh around it, letting go of his crutches and hugging Naruto tightly.

"Did you miss me?"

"You're gonna get punched, too," Kiba said in a low voice, still in shock.

He was here. Sasuke was here. It had been a month since Pein's death, and yet somehow...

His eyes rose to Sai, the agent staring down at Naruto and Sasuke with a small smile on his face, but pain in his eyes. He was obviously happy to have made Naruto smile again, but clearly upset that with Sasuke back, he didn't have a ghost of a chance. Realistically, he never would have, not with how Naruto felt about the Uchiha. That was cemented forever.

"Fuck," Naruto was saying, his face buried in Sasuke's neck. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Finally finding his voice again, and being able to say more than a stupid joke about people getting punched, Kiba looked at Sai once more and asked, "Where was he?" He knew Naruto would've asked himself, but he seemed to be lacking in the communications department, so Kiba would do it for him.

"With the CIA. One of the guys working for Pein, Suigetsu, he was an undercover agent."

Kiba expected Naruto to react to this news, but he didn't. He just kept his face buried in Sasuke's chest, the raven hugging him back just as tightly.

"A lot of undercover agents," Kiba said. "I'm starting to doubt my friends now, they might all be agents."

Sai snorted at that and Kiba managed a smile before looking back at his friends. Sasuke's eyes had opened, and were looking right at him. The Uchiha smiled.

"Glad you're alive, Dogface."

The brunet barked out a laugh. "I'm glad you're alive, too, Asshat. I'd hug you, but Naruto might hurt me if I try."

Naruto didn't answer, but he didn't have to. They all knew it was true, he'd maim anyone who tried to separate them right now.

"Does Kakashi know?" Kiba asked Sai.

"Yeah. I figured it would be best to have him see everyone else before seeing Naruto, since I knew he wouldn't let him go once he showed up."

"Good thinking," the brunet admitted, looking down at his friends again. "So what happened? Where did the CIA find him?"

"They were moving in on Pein's base at the same time we were actually with him in the factory downtown. Obviously, he wasn't there, but when they found Sasuke, they got him out while they had the chance and another team stayed behind to wait for Pein to return. When he didn't show, they found out CSIS had him, and decided to go after the leader before they lost his trail."

_That_ got Naruto's attention, his head jerking up off Sasuke's chest, eyes wide and horrified. "There's _another_ one?!" he demanded, looking panicked.

"No, there isn't," Sai reassured him with a smile. "The CIA took care of it. CSIS, the FBI and the CIA are working together, along with Interpol and other various authorities around the world to shut down the rest of Akatsuki. The real head has been caught, and he's definitely not going to be around much longer. It's over. For good this time."

Naruto, finally, offered Sai a smile.

"Though, please do me a favour." He bent down beside the other two, and smiled again. "Next time someone tries to make friendly with you, kick them in the nuts and run, will you?"

Naruto let out a loud bark of laughter, reached out with one arm, and pulled Sai into a hug while still lying on top of Sasuke. Kiba's eyes shifted to regard the Uchiha, but he didn't look upset. He just smiled at Naruto while the blond hugged Sai.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Sai hugged him back, burying his face in Naruto's neck. "Anything for you."

Kiba smiled, watching them all for a few seconds, then frowned. His eyes widened and he leapt over them, hurrying past Hinata towards the stairs.

"Ki-Kiba," Hinata's voice squeaked after him down the corridor, the brunet barrelling down the stairs. "Where are you going?"

"To build them both a bomb shelter!" Kiba hollered back up the stairs before the front door slammed.

* * *

**A/N: I knooow, lame. Originally, in my first ever draft of this fic, Sasuke was going to die. It was going to end horribly, and I was going to skip away laughing jovially. But after years of procrastinating this fic, and lots of reviews from people begging me not to kill him, I kinda looked over everything I put Naruto through and decided to have a heart. SO... yeah, Uchiha got to live because of you people. He owes you. Hope his survival wasn't a huge disappointment... If it was, do I get points for originally wanting to kill him? 8D**


	24. Epilogue

**A/N: Decided to post this up so I can now officially put this fic under my belt, dust off my shoulder and be proud I wrote a trilogy |D Also, a lot of people have been asking me about writing an alternate ending where Sasuke did die, but I honestly really just feel like I want this fic to be THIS fic. No alternate ending, no "go to chapter 25 for the dead Sasuke version" or whatnot. I finished it this way, and I kinda wanna just... let it be ^_^;; Also, sorry to everyone who wanted a nice little love scene/happy reunion for Sasuke and Naruto but, as above, this last part was always how I intended to finish the series (albeit, with a few obvious adjustments |D) so this is it, guys. I'm sorry :(  
**

**Disclaimer: Welp, after many, many years of attempting to steal Kiba, I guess I'll have to find solace in the fact that K. Masashi is kind enough to share him with me on paper. The thievery attempts were fun, though, as bad as they always went.**

* * *

**Four years later.**

"He's gonna kill him."

"Have faith."

"He's gonna kill him."

"Have. Faith."

"Dude, he's _totally_ gonna kill him."

Sasuke turned to Naruto, a little annoyed. "Will you stop and just have a little faith?"

"I agree with blondie," Sakura insisted, leaning into Lee and grinning. "Kiba's gonna die tonight."

"Will everyone stop talking about Kiba dying?" Sasuke grunted, annoyed. "Isn't it bad enough he actually almost did once upon a time? What happened to no more jokes about dying?"

"That was before today," Naruto insisted with a grin, licking Sasuke in the cheek. The Uchiha let out a disgusted sound and shoved the blond away, his hand in the other's face.

Kiba wandered back into the dining room from the kitchen, checking his watch, and beginning to pace.

"Do either of them even know _why_ you invited us all to dinner?" Ino asked Kiba, eyeing him with concern.

"Of course not!" Kiba insisted. "And you guys talking about me dying isn't helping! And also happens to be exactly why I invited you all here!"

"Really? I thought it was to brag about how successful you've become by showing off your giant table." Sakura knocked on it. "Real wood, too."

The doorbell rang, interrupting whatever Kiba had been about to say, and he paled considerably.

Naruto grinned and leaned closer to Sasuke. "He's gonna die."

"Faith. Have some."

"I _do_ have faith—that he's gonna die."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and watched Kiba lead Hinata and Neji into the dining room. He waved to the two of them, Naruto standing up to give Hinata a hug and to wring Neji's hand. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. It wasn't like Naruto hadn't seen them both recently. Considering the years of craziness they'd all spent together, it was hard to break those kinds of bonds, and all of them saw each other at least once a week. Not all in this large group, usually, but Sasuke could honestly say he'd seen everyone sitting at this table at least once in the past five days.

"Okay, so, we're all, ah, here." Kiba said, laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head. "Um, Neji, you sit, uh, there. Beside your, ah, wife. That would be awesome." He motioned Tenten, who rolled her eyes and pulled Neji down beside her.

"Hinata! You, uh, here. Right here. Where, you know, you always sit." He motioned the seat next to him, and she smiled, moving to sit down. He pushed her chair in for her, then stood at the head of the table, clearing his throat. "Ah, before I start, I thought I'd, you know, say a few things."

"Boo!" Naruto said from his other side, being seated across from Hinata. Sasuke covered his mouth to shut him up.

"Don't ruin it," he hissed at his lover.

"What? Kiba's so nervous, I'm trying to see if he'll wet himself."

"I won't, and I heard that," Kiba snapped, rubbing his hands together and looking around at them all. "Well, I guess first, thank you all for coming to my and Hinata's humble abode."

"Humble, the man says," Ino snickered. "This place is almost as big as Naruto's."

"It's not, we checked," Naruto interjected with a grin.

"Anyway!" Sasuke insisted, trying to cover Naruto's mouth again, and nodding for Kiba to continue while the blond ducked and leaned back to stop his lover's hands from reaching his face.

"Anyway," Kiba echoed, rubbing the back of his head, and continuing. "I know we see each other on a regular basis, but every now and then, it's nice to have us all in one place together. I think the last time this happened was actually at Neji's wedding."

"You're welcome," Tenten called.

Kiba smiled at her. "I just thought it would be nice to have us all together again. Reminisce and all that. We've done well these past four years, I think. We all managed to graduate. I didn't get shot again. Somehow we're all still with the same people. I didn't get shot again. We all found jobs we enjoy. Did I mention I didn't get shot again?"

"Knowing you, you could probably mention it a few more times," Sasuke shot in.

"Oh, so it's okay for _you_ to interrupt, but not _me_?" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke smirked at him.

Kiba just snorted and rubbed his hands together again. "While I am happy to have you all here, ah, together. All of us. As friends. I do also have another reason for wanting you all present. You're my closest friends, and while most of you already know what's-what's coming, I just thought... I wanted to share it with all of you." His eyes shot nervously to Neji. "And I also needed to make sure there were enough people between me and Neji before I did it."

The Hyuuga frowned at that, and Sasuke wondered how he hadn't noticed he was seated at the opposite end of the table, right across from Kiba.

"So, I don't... I didn't really have anything... concrete to say so I guess just..." Kiba licked his lips and looked at Sasuke. "You got my back here, right? You'll save me when he attacks?"

"I got your back," Sasuke reassured him. "Go for it."

"Do it, do it, do it!" Naruto started chanting. Sasuke had to cover his mouth again.

"Okay. Um, okay." Kiba patted at his pockets, then fumbled for something. He dropped it and ducked under the table for it. There was a bang, the table shuddering, then a curse, and Kiba reappeared, rubbing at his head. He stayed on his knees though, turning to Hinata. She instantly went scarlet.

Sasuke's gaze shifted to Neji. It looked like the older Hyuuga was trying to convince himself he was seeing things. Truthfully, Neji had once told him that Kiba was the only man for his cousin, but he did like to be dramatic, so he also knew that Neji would never admit that to _Kiba_. Friends or not, Hyuugas liked drama.

"Hinata," Kiba said nervously, his words almost running into one another when he continued, "we've been together for a really, really long time, and no matter what, you always stuck by me. I know I might not be the man that you deserve, but I'm hoping that you'll give me more of a chance than you already have. I would be honoured..." He paused for effect, Sasuke resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. Kiba opened the box he was holding. "If you would make me the happiest man alive and be my wife."

Neji lunged across the table.

Luckily for Kiba, there were twelve people between him and the Hyuuga, and every single one of them leapt up to stop him.

Hinata, for once in her life, was actually loud enough to be heard above the din, and Neji would have no choice but to approve, because she had already squeaked out a yes.

Sasuke was looking forward to seeing Naruto in a tux again. He had such fond memories of the last wedding they had attended.

Sadly, he couldn't say the same for Kiba. The guy never caught a break.

**Everything is always okay in the end,  
If it's not okay, then it's not  
****THE END.**

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**A/N: I want to apologize again to everyone who stuck with me throughout the crazy rollercoaster that was this fic, with my constant dropping of it and the waiting for years (literally) to see its ending. I know I didn't deserve most of the support I got after doing that to you guys, but I wanted to thank you profusely all the same for sticking with me to the end of this.  
**

**Special thanks to KingCobra, who literally never gave up on me and was kind enough to continue to remind me that he would wait forever if he had to for this fic. Seriously dude, you rock. Thanks for everything!  
**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the ride. I promise never to make you guys suffer through a wait like this ever again! I'm gonna be posting up some stuff I've been writing over the past few years, all of which are complete, so if you feel like checking out what I've been up to, it'll be around soon, just needs some editing. If you're done with me after the fiasco of this fic, totally cool, thanks for sticking with me at least to the end of this :) You guys are all awesome. For reals.  
**

**With that, I bid you all good evening :)**

**Sarge.  
**


End file.
